That printer hooked up to your computer could soon seem very old-school as the growing trend to 3D printers is producing devices that can create three-dimensional objects, feeding heated plastic through a printing arm to drop on the surface below, much the same as a printer drops ink on a page to create an image.
And if you want to see how easy it can be to hook up your own 3D printer and start your own mini-manufacturing empire, check out this weekend’s Mini Maker Faire in Vancouver, where a 3D printer village will be a highlight.
The 3D printing gurus are among the more than 100 exhibitors who are descending on the PNE for the two-day event that’s a unique hybrid of hacker-meets-handicrafts and where robot makers share space with yarn bombers.