“The digital is now becoming physical.”
The Clash of the Digital and Physical World
Throughout the world, the emphasis has constantly been on the progressive digital movement: digital currency, data, communication, media – the list is endless. Everything that was once physical is in the process of becoming digital if it hasn’t already. Hence, a phrase deeply caught my attention during my 3D Printing – Digital Making Seminar lecture. “The digital is now becoming physical.”
If the digital can become physical, then what does this mean for our world today?
How Far Have We Come?
Before I started to explore the world of 3D printing, I was constrained to believe that 3D printing was a concept that was too restricted by its weakness in tangibility. The examples of 3D printed items I had seen in the past were merely too elementary. Yet, upon learning about what has already been accomplished in the 3D printing industry, my view has completely been revolutionized.
I began reading how fully functioning cars, wheelchairs, weapons, everyday items, and even fully functioning hearts had been printed with 3D printers. This further birthed a curiosity in me to find out what the limitations would be for 3D printing technology.
How neat would it be to print out your own car in the future?
Existing Designs
Here are four cool designs of everyday items I’ve found online that is easily accessible:
Need a way to measure specific units, but don’t have the necessary tools? This design allows you to print out different sizes for measuring cubes. One thing that I would change to this design would be the availability to make custom cubes with exact measurements.
One of my personal favorites, this design allows you to set up a stand for your phone in a tri-pod like fashion. This is great for filming videos and taking still photography. A cool addition to this design would be the availability of making it more portable.
Have you ever seen someone cover their laptop webcam with a post-it note? Even Mark Zuckerberg covers up his webcam on his laptop. With this neat tool, you are able to easily cover up your laptop’s webcam to prevent anyone from invading your privacy.
Do you ever get your headphones in a bunch? This neat trick allows you to carry around your headphones in a neat and orderly fashion to prevent wires from tearing.