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printing is a technology that lets you take
a digital file and turn it into a
physical product. SAM CERVANTES: Almost
anything you can imagine, people are creating. I think it’s going to open
up whole new opportunities in areas of mass customization. MICHAEL WEINBERG: Unlike with
music or movies, with the 3D printer, a lot of
things that are printed aren’t protected by copyright. JOSEPH FLAHERTY: One of
the really cool things about 3D printing is it
really changes the dynamic of a consumer culture. It turns you from being
a passive consumer to an active creator. SAM CERVANTES: 3D printing is
this amazing new technology where you can take
a 3D digital file and with the click of a
button, use that file to create an actual physical 3D part. So how does a 3D printer work? The first step is
to get a 3D file. And you can get your 3D
file in one of two ways. One, you can simply download
the file from the internet. The second way is you can
design your own 3D part. The software is going to slice
your part up into layers. By building a part
layer by layer, you’re able to create a plastic
part in three dimensions and the possibilities
are limited only by your imagination. People will create their next
big invention or engineers and designers create
small production runs or little prototypes. Teachers can use it to
print out teaching aids. If a teacher is doing a
little lesson on a ship, they can actually print
out a sailing ship and pass it around the class. And people print out things
for around the house. iPhone cases are pretty big. You break a towel hook, you
can print out a new one. We want to make 3D
printers at a price that the average person can
afford and also easy to use. We’re already seeing late-stage
early adoption of 3D printing. But for me, the exciting
thing is what’s to come. CARINE CARMY: Shapeways
is an online 3D printing community and marketplace. Anyone in the world can
upload their 3D model and we’ll print for you. And then also, if you decide
you want to make it for sale, you can sell it and
we’ll produce it on demand for that customer
wherever they are in the world. You can essentially bring a
product to market with no risk. You don’t have
inventory anymore. You don’t have to
make sure that there’s a market ready for your product. If you sell one, that’s awesome. If you sell 10,000,
then all of a sudden, you have a passive
income model and that radically changes the economy. Usually, to bring a product
to market takes a year. And then, you have to find the
manufacturer and the investor. And so it’s going to
force us to change the way we think about
not only buying products, but how they’re made. One of our colleagues
broke his stroller and it would have cost
him something like $250 to get that part in the mail
from the stroller company. And he literally just
3D-printed a stroller part and got it for $20. You have this explosive
technology where everything is made just for you, but at the
price and quality of something you’d buy in a store. This could be a scary
technology for some companies, because what does that
mean for seasons now? You have infinite
inventory and what does that mean for
scarcity, which is one of the core tenets
of so many industries? I think it’s very similar,
though, to social media or other tools of
engagement, where you’re afraid to see what that
would mean to let consumers co-create with you
or to really rethink your traditional
manufacturing process, because you have
so many middlemen. I think we just have
to stop thinking that you need to reach 100,000,
a million people for something to be successful. Customization, it’s
really changing the way that we have to think about
design and production, as well. MICHAEL WEINBERG:
People who make money by selling things that are
all of a sudden easily copied with a 3D printer are
going to be worried that people are going to be
making unauthorized copies with those 3D printers. And I think one
of the challenges for them is going to be,
well, how do I react? Objects that are
artistic objects, that are objects that you would
hire an artist to make, those things are all going
to be protected by copyright. But those objects
that actually do things, that have a use besides
just sort of entertaining or looking nice,
a lot of those are going to fall outside
the scope of copyright. They might be protected by
patent, but a lot of them won’t be protected by any
sort of intellectual property at all. And as a result of that, you can
use them or improve upon them or build on them as much as you
want and no one can stop you. 3D printing right now is
at its very beginnings and so you don’t have a lot of
case law about everyday people making exact copies
of physical objects, and certainly not
a lot of case law about people being able to
do that on a large scale. The good thing, hopefully,
is that the industries that are disrupted by 3D printing
have the model of the music industry to maybe learn from. The music industry, when
someone started copying things, decided the best thing to do was
take their time and their money and invest it in suing everyone
they could find and try and stop the progress
of technology. That didn’t work very well. And so the hope is that
these creators, when they see these new technologies,
they capture some of the upside and they say, oh, wait,
this can change my business for the better and they do that. It’s a hard thing to do,
but the music industry has taught us that it may be
the thing they have to do. JOSEPH FLAHERTY:
3D printing’s going to have a profound
impact on all of us, whether you consider
yourself a designer or not. In the future, there are
going to be 3D printers that will allow you to
actually create three-dimensional structures
out of living cells. And they can build very
complex structures, like blood vessels
or skin tissue. And the idea there is
that in 10 or 20 years, these scientists are going to
be able to 3D-print tissue that could replace damaged
vessels of the heart or they might be able to
print replacement organs. So you won’t have to go to
find an organ donor anymore. You’ll just be able to have
one 3D-printed at the hospital based on your own cell and
your own genetic makeup. Right now at MIT,
scientists are working on 3D printers
that would actually allow you to print food. And who wouldn’t want that
in their house, right? If you could just ask
Siri to cook you a steak, I mean, it’s really going to be
an exciting time in the home. In Japan, there’s a company
that’s taking sonogram data. So they scan a
pregnant woman’s belly and they’re able to actually
3D-print a figure of her torso. So instead of just having
a fuzzy little black and white picture,
you’re getting a real model of what your
child is going to look like. People are using
3D printers to do all sorts of interesting things
in terms of the environment. Researchers are
using 3D printers that can print concrete
to make replacements for parts of the Great Barrier
Reef that have been damaged. Normally, those reefs take
thousands of years to build. But what these scientists do
is they find the areas that are damaged, they
make CAD replicas of those damaged areas, and
they print them in concrete. So it’s a base
structure upon which coral can create a top layer. And that helps reinvigorate
the environment. It helps return
normality to that area. And one of the coolest
things about 3D printing is that it’s a community
that never stops innovating. There are hundreds
of innovators who are making little tweaks
to these products, who are trying out different things. And so it really gives
everybody an opportunity to create anything
they could imagine. [WHIRRING] CARINE CARMY: 3D
printing is a next wave of how brands and
consumers can engage. And now, we’re just
starting to see that happen. JOSEPH FLAHERTY: In
a few years’ time, they’re going to be no
more difficult to use or difficult to understand
than a camera phone. MICHAEL WEINBERG: The way to
protect creators and designers is to make sure to give
people a way to spend money on 3D-printed things. SAM CERVANTES: In
the future, we’re going to see a lot
more people unleashing their pent-up
creativity and that’s what’s most exciting for me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

100 comments on “Will 3D Printing Change the World? | Off Book | PBS Digital Studios

  1. the price wont necessarily get cheaper but there will be more options to meet the needs of people based on where they are finantially. For example a poor guy might be able to afford a printer that can print a glass jar but he wont be able to afford a printer that can print a car…a middle class guy might afford a printer that can print a car but cant afford a printer that can build a ship or a house. a guy who can afford a printer that can print a house might not for a ship or aeropane part

  2. The price WILL get cheaper it's subject to moores law since it's an information technology. The power of 3d printers doubles every year and the prices continue to drop at first they costed around $100,000 then a little later it was around $10,000 and now they are around the thousand dollar mark. Just like computers that where the size a building 30 years ago now the smartphone children have in their pockets are 100,000 times more powerful and smaller, 3d printers will follow the same path.

  3. I agree, if it wasnt for money who knows where we would be by now. unfortunately , up to this point, history has been on the side of greed and exploitation. most people are too blind and ignorant to see the importance of science and technology. all they care about is the latest designer brands and reality tv shows.. ugh! the only way we will be able to change for the better is to spread awareness and keep on making great discoveries.

  4. The only problem with that principle when applied to printers is that they have to have a material to print. Even if 3d printers themselves are incredibly high tech, it is going to be very expensive to print anything other than plastic

  5. I'm gonna buy a 3D printer, print a 3D printer, then return the 3D printer I bought in the first place and get my money back. Master plan.

  6. That's so interesting. What if in 50 years, people can just print out whatever tools they need and hardware stores are obsolete?

  7. Of course there are going to be people like me.
    What is going to happen to the tax base?
    What is going to happen to employment?
    What is going to happen to the social base?
    What will happen to hospitals?
    What will happen to all the careers that are outdated?

    Where does the base material come from that is used to make these things?
    Plastic, metal, cement, tissue etc.?

  8. I have to disagree with you on that all you need is to have scrap metal which is very inexpensive. Go onto a most scrap metal sites and you see that metals are very inexpensive. I saw steel was 190.00 for 2,240 pounds so imagine what you can construct when anything you make is 8 cents a pound and I don't know about you but that's not that expensive for most people.

  9. I feel as time goes on, a 3d printer will be built in every house. That way, instead of wasting presidiums material by mass production, you make what you need when you need it. If only they can figure out other materials besides plastic and skin you would have endless opportunities.

  10. Also, if too many people are making weapons or blocks, the 3d printer's software could have "blocks" where it won't let you build that

  11. 5 years? more like, this should've been around decades ago. CNC technology has been around for 50 years or so, this is just sticking it with a plastic injector thing, how come this wasn't invented at least a couple of decades ago? jesus…

  12. There is really only one problem here…plastic is poisoning our planet, as it does not break down in the environment. It is not the future, it should be the past.

  13. The moment hydroponic cultures become popular in people's homes (or in a building in a neighborhood), producing food with 1% of nowaday's agriculture area, and clean energy is up, and all human's knowledge and new ideas are online…… true communism will arise. I want to be alive and watch global leaders fall.

  14. The next big thing, by 2020, will be the development of a super recyclable polymer to be used in 3D printers (objects, clothes, etc). Instead of throw away our objects, people will leave it in a recycling bank, where this material will be available for everyone for free. Think of it, "everyone will be born rich". How to justify capitalism then?

  15. You sure can, Chris. Look up "Rep Rap". The whole movement is based on open-source printers that can replicate themselves for very little money.

  16. Believe me, if you make it through this next decade, the corrupt governments and bankers around the world will begin to fall to their knees. If the truth be told its already happening. America is a Resurrection of Atlantis, if you believe in that kind of thing, we just need to get Americans off their ass and educated. We have all the parts and technology at our fingertips to feed, shelter, and clothe every human being on the planet. LETS DO IT

  17. – Yes we do! We have the technology to replace every failing institution out there…including, the money!! Keep preaching and so will I.

  18. For what? You can already do that. RepRap project. The only problem is this is a machine, not a gadget. Its not a plug and play machine, that produces great results on its own, and can break down. Maybe in time, but i think it will stay in the same category as CNC routers.

  19. not yet.
    70% of parts can be printed ray kurzweil told last year will take 5-8 years for 3d printers to be able to fully copy them selfs.
    if that would be the case imagine the prices of those thing would drop like crazy and everyone would have one at theit desk at home. no need to buy toys for your kid you would just download or design them

  20. I still remember watching a documentary about "revolutionary technology" like 5 years ago, where they introduced world's first 3d printer, able to produce an almost shapless, but solid fork in about 3 hours. Now a 3d printer can make a freaking weapon and its been only 5 years. Man.

  21. I love how when technology makes a laborer obsolete by replacing him with a machine it's all fine… but when technology makes an industry obsolete we must lobby to ban/prohibit/destroy whatever that technology is. Cash rules everything…

  22. If you think about this technology really isn't new, it's been used for decades to make copies of toys, cars, clothing furniture etc. This is just a newer version where the process is done more instantly and all at once.

  23. I am looking forward to the mass marketing of these printers. Heck, I was surprised to see wal mart selling them for $1200

  24. 3D printing (distributed manufacturing) will lead to the collapse of patent and copyright protections. Which in turn will lead to the collapse of multinational corporations that rely on patents, manufacturing at scale, and retail supply chains. Banks that finance those companies and stockholders of those companies will wake up to find their investments contain no value. 

    Globalization is reducing the income disparity between developed economies and developing economies. Distributed manufacturing will all but eliminate economic disparity at the expense of some very wealthy people in developed economies. But that's a good thing because as populations become more wealthy they become more educated. As populations become more educated they have fewer babies. And fewer babies mean a lower global population and less stress on global resources. 

  25. I have great hopes in this technology, there is a Dutch company and another Chinese company who printed entire houses in less than 20 hours with giant printers recently, and a German company is planning to print cars at unfair prices for the regular car manufacturers.

  26. I don't quite understand this.. I get that they can print with plastic. But they're talking about printing actual living tissue, or food… How is that going to be possible?

  27. In the future, the people (us) will create develop and distribute.

    So that means no more corporate companies dictate how the products are being processed etc.

  28. This is going to change the world….. Human life spans could increase with it printing organs.  Can you imagine 30 or 50 years from now people living to be 200 just by making new and younger organs, bones, skin, eyes…… O_O  This is the future

  29. When color inkjet/laser first introduce. Everyone think that photo printing will be the trend. Ask yourself how many color print and photo print you produced last month. Chances are you have less photo printed that the good old day photo developed. High end 3D printing is good for product development and R&D. All other 3D printings are good for producing "toys" and "kill time". Anything to do with electrical or electronic, you can forget about 3D printing. Then all other mechanical stuff are integration of the shape and the material property. A resin pen has totally different value compare to a gold plated pen. A solid wood stool will feel different than a plastic stool. People will prefer to drink from a ceramic mug than a plastic mug…. Most of the time, the material of the "stuff" are more important than the shape of the "stuff".

    With more and more intelligent cooking appliances in average household, restaurants and fast food chains will slowly disappear. We know that is not true. Think about it, all the food you eat out can be cooked in your own kitchen with the right ingredients, recipe and equipment. So why people still eat out, especially rich people who can have the best kitchen equipment, ingredients, and even have their own chiefs? Can you imagine in the future, with the all powerful 3D printing equipment, rich people will stay at their own mansion and have their own technical team to product everything they need or want in house? Yes, 3D printing will change some aspect of our life, but no where close to what electricity, PC and mobile did.

  30. 3D printing is good for product development, replacement parts and specific applications such as medical or one off manufacturing (e.g. coral reefs, a sculptural structural element). No, even once perfected we're not all going to run out and get 3D printers. For the same reason we all don't run out and grow tomato plants on our porches or back yards.

    How many yoda heads or plastic coffee mugs can one family possibly need? 

    Make anything you want? Who has the time to design anything today? There's a reason we pay other people to do stuff. Because I for one would rather spend time with my family or friends in lieu of designing a 3D printed couch, Volkswagen, or tampon. I'm an designer, artist and environmentalist; trust me, most of what you're seeing and reading about 3D printing in everyone's home is pure hype. Think about it. Technology won't solve the social ills of consumerism.

    The hype of 3D printing is so ridiculous it borders on the absurd. The tech community is selling the masses on a silver bullet to solve all our social ills. Ironically using consumerism to foster more consumerism to the detriment of that very society. 

  31. This has/ will change the world but understand that we have all now been replaced and deemed obsolete. This will create jobs but it will destroy at a rate a thousand times faster. Get ready for a global depression. Think of all the speciality jobs now obsolete. Architecture, modelling, the list is endless. We are now truly primitive. A government that can 3d print drones. A car company that can 3d print cars and prototypes. A wall mart with no stock and only printers. A cake shope with only 3d printers. This will accelerate us into the future but war and civil uprising will follow

  32. Not sure if someone already brought this up, but what will happen to economies like China, Indonesia and other countries that rely heavily on manufacturing the worlds goods, when the world no longer requires their cheap labor?

  33. Heh, funny how they show a FDM printer printing and then a model printed by a SLS printer, which has a far more superior quality.

  34. You can print many things but not everything.
    Also , the thing you printed is not the Real thing.
    Its a plastic image of the real thing in 3D.

    So, its intellectual dishonesty to say that 3D printing can print anything.

    Also, its not strong especially those made of plastic.

    So, in reality, 3D printing today has many limits eg. Size, filament cost,  strength, imperfect finishing, limited colors , just to name a few.

    Clearly, there is a force behind this movement that is sensationalizing the 3D printing capability.

    I support 3D printing.

    Its best for prototyping only.

  35. 3D printing cannot address mass reproductions.
    China is still the cheaper way to get your products and china has been and continues to provide basically all the things needed by the world. Of course, not everything.

    This video should have been more fair to mention what the limit of 3D printing is.
    The Stroller part that was mentioned that was printed will not be strong if using plastic filaments even if nylon is used .

    Clearly, there is a sensationalization effort, if you will, in promoting 3D printing.
    Are the manufacturers by any chance involved in this sensationalizing?
    It reminds me of Sales advertisements and Rhetorics by politicians.

  36. As a person who works with a variety of 3D printer models and teaches CAD I can tell you that it isn't as big of a deal as you might think. The parts are limited by material, size, and strength. Yeah you could print a new towel hook, but do you want to hang that in your home next to your carefully purchased furnishings?  Do you want to spend 8 hours printing something only to have it fail when you could of just gone to the store and bought a strong, injection molded part? The majority of things people are making is plastic junk that will end up in the landfill. It will never replace CNC and computer automated manufacturing. The people in this video are selling 3D printing because it is their business, not because they are experts. For example; I owned a Solidoodle 4 which is the biggest steaming turd available on the market, and here is their owner talking up 3D printing. PBS, you need to watch who you are hanging out with, that man is selling straight up snake oil. I don't know how they aren't bankrupt yet. If you are going to get a printer, get an Up Plus/Afinia, 3D systems, or an Ultimaker.

  37. will 3D printing clean the plastic junk all in the oceans and landscapes? will it stop massive oil spills on the seas? protect indigenous people and minorities' rights and protect endangered species? will it make more schools and hospitals in shanty towns all over the world? will it make a world with less guns and less wars? stop corporations controlling civil rights and economy?  …so the answer is NO, 3D printing will not change the world!

  38. For those saying that 3D printers will ruin the global economy:

    The money saved by not needing to buy such products anymore will be spent on OTHER things such as services and entertainment, creating jobs in other markets. Also, almost everything will be much cheaper so people wont need as much money and work to trade for goods.

    The result will be freeing the human race of pointless work such as working in industries and allow us to pursue higher goals, such as arts, science, entertainment and spiritual development.

  39. Don't be naive guys.. Even if it is that perfect.. It will be used for military or national security.. Then only after WW3 is over.. Then it will be release to public.. Just like GPS technology..

  40. I think the positive things in the 3D printer will be that now we can have everything we like easier. The drawbacks will be that Many people will be without a job because their job as a seller soul de be over.

  41. We were impressed by the video, looking forward to the next. We are a small 3D modeling software startup completely bootstrapped and tooks us 5 years to develop our real-time collaborative CAD.? Would be great if you had time to check our software SolidFace.

  42. *hospitals in 2030 *
    doctor to nurse: hey suzan, can u print a liver for me real quick, thanks.

  43. Unexptected (,/'_'.)

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