Design & Innovation

10 More Reasons to Love 3D Printing

From memories to music, cars to kayaks

1 min read

A doll that looks like The Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am holds up a photo of the real Will.i.am
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1. 3D-printed memories

Our power of recall improves when we have more data to rebuild memories. Touchable Memories is an experiment in which blind people had their photos printed in 3D, enabling them to feel shapes within photos they could no longer see.

https://youtu.be/f-4AmztnIYw

2. A 3D-printed prosthetic Stormtrooper arm for a 7-year-old boy

You’re 7 years old and need a prosthetic limb. Thanks to 3D printing, you can now have your very own Stormtrooper arm.

3. A 3D-printed left shark

Who would have expected that the left shark from Katy Perry’s Superbowl show would cause such a fuss? A Florida company printed a 3D version and has since been battling Perry’s lawyers over copyright issues.

4. A 3D-printed duck leg

When Dudley the duck got mixed up in a chicken fight he ended up losing a leg. Thankfully, the people at Proto3000 printed Dudley a new one.

5. A 3D-printed Joy Division Unknown Pleasures album cover

You’ve got the album, the t-shirt and the tattoo. Now you need a 3D-printed album cover to be considered a true fan.

6. A 3D-printed drivable car

Pretty much most of this car has been 3D printed, which means that when you need a new part you can print it yourself.

7. A 3D-printed vagina-shaped kayak

Tokyo artist Megumi Igarashi was arrested for 3D-printing her vagina as part of a crowdfunding campaign to support her 3D-scanned “pussy boat” project.

8. A 3D-printed Ghostbusters proton pack

Looking for that final accessory for your cosplay outfit? There’s no shortage of designs out there waiting to be printed.

9. 3D-printed Nike running shoes

Nike has been 3D-printing components for its footware for a few years and is taking advantage of the agility 3D printing enables in product design and testing.

https://youtu.be/F1AP167Ig8k

10. 3D-printed, eco-friendly, anatomically accurate dolls

Get to playing in the Makie FabLab and custom make your very own 3D-printed Makie Doll and outfit.

https://youtu.be/YK7DxzjIpjs
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How We Get To Next was a magazine that explored the future of science, technology, and culture from 2014 to 2019. This article is part of our Design & Innovation section, which looks at new devices, concepts, and inventions that are changing our world. Click the logo to read more.