Many of us imagined our own versions of the future when we were young. You could have thought that you’d be zipping around in flying cars like in The Jetsons. Or that every household would have a humanoid robot to help with our daily chores. While some of these things are either in the making or still not possible, one thing that has surely turned into reality is 3D printing.
This technology is not just being used by experts; many enthusiasts have also tried their hand at it. And some users of 3D printing are sharing their innovative creations on the 3Dprinting subreddit, where “makers of all skill levels and walks of life can learn about and discuss 3D printing.” Check out these 3D-printed items to witness the remarkable strides technology has made.And don’t forget to check out our conversation with Sricharan Chiruvolu, a computer vision engineer based in Germany.
#1 I Recently Had A Full Head Mri. Using Free Software I Was Able To Pluck My Brain Out And Turn It Into A Desk Light
RELATED: #2 A Loggerhead Turtle Got Into A Boating Accident, Resulting In The Loss Of A Majority Of Its Lower Beak. Scientists Gave It A New 3D Printed Titanium Beak. It Looks So Badass. He Is Now A Cyborg Turtle
#3 I Made These Spikes To Stop “Helpful” People From Grabbing Me Without Consent
While 3D printing may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, the reality is that it is a fairly straightforward concept. Using additive manufacturing, three-dimensional printing turns a digital design into a tangible product. Basically, it’s done by applying thin layers of cement, metal, liquid, or powdered plastic, then fusing the layers together.
To explore the impact of 3D printing, We sought insights from Sricharan Chiruvolu, a computer vision engineer specializing in 3D vision, who shared his valuable perspective.
#4 Was Born Without An Arm So I Built Myself My Own Eletronic 3D Printed Arm. This Is Me Holding An Egg
#5 3D Printed Clip-On Temperature Indicator For The Shower Pipe To Show When It’s Warm Or Too Hot. I’m Disabled So I Can’t Always Tell Temperature With My Hand, And I Didn’t Want To Use One Of Those LED Showerheads Because Electricity + Water = Bad
#6 A Redditor Has Built Me A New Finger After Insurance Turned Me Down For One. They Took An Existing Design And Customized It With My Feedback And Made Me Whole Again. It Should Be Known That Limb Labs Wanted 15 To 20 Thousand Dollars For One
Over the past few years, 3D printing has rewritten the market for common consumer goods. “From phone cases to prosthetics,” 3D printing has enabled more personalized and custom-made wares, as noted by Sricharan. “Also, it helps to bring down the production cost for a few products, giving customers more access to distinctive designs.”
Customization can be challenging under traditional manufacturing processes because they rely on predetermined molds and tooling configurations when producing items in large quantities. Consequently, it becomes difficult for them to build or modify their machinery to accommodate every unique design or variation. Conversely, in 3D printing, molding or tools are not required at all.
#7 Who Ever Designed This Thing I Printed It… I Have Never Been So Horrified And In Love At The Same Time!!
#8 I May Have A *slight* Addiction To Printing Covers For My Bionic Arm
#9 After Three Failed Attempts, I Present To You: Invisiball In Spectrum
According to Sricharan, one of the major benefits of this technology is that prototyping costs are greatly reduced using this method. Rather than spending thousands on prototyping, companies can now produce test pieces at a fraction of such prices.
“It has brought about faster distribution of prototypes, thus hastening market entry for new products, while on-demand creation has also prolonged product life for many consumers.”
#10 I Made A ‘Toothpaste Mover’ So You Can Push Toothpaste From One Costco-Sized Tube Into A Lil Travel Tube 🦷🦷🦷
#11 Where The Sidewalk Ends
#12 (Oc) I Made The Jetpacks For My Light-Year Suit Everything Is 3D Printed!
Traditionally, product design engineers would make mock-ups of products like ergonomic chairs using cardboard or foam. These mock-ups were then given to professional developers, who refined them into functional prototypes. With the development of digital technologies and 3D printing, this technique has evolved. These days, engineers create intricate digital models of products through the use of computer-aided design (CAD) software. The prototypes can be 3D printed straight from these digital models.
#13 My 8 Year Old Asked For A Nintendo Switch For Christmas. Prusa I3 Mk3s To The Rescue! We Did Buy Her An Actual Switch, But She Must Endure This First
#14 Finally Finished The Wife’s Fully Motorised Mk49 Rescue Suit 3D Printed On Ender 5 Plus Bondtech Ddx Direct Drive
#15 Finished Printing The Oof Stones
Apart from the financial and efficiency gains, 3D printing also has environmental benefits compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Sricharan believes, “Through 3D printing, waste can be reduced by using only the required materials for each product; it also supports local production that could reduce transit-related emissions.”
Compared to traditional techniques such as molding or cutting, where there may be excess material waste, 3D printing constructs objects with only the necessary material. By doing so, waste is reduced and resource efficiency is enhanced.
#16 My Step-Son’s Soccer Team Won First In A Tournament But They Didn’t Get A Trophy So I Designed And Printed Him One
#17 One Lid To Rule Them All
#18 My New Favourite 3D Print
Further explaining how 3D printing supports sustainable practices throughout the product life cycle, he added, “Many materials used in 3D printing are recyclable or biodegradable, thus offering green alternatives; through simplifying maintenance processes, this technology can help prolong the life of products. This helps reduce overall waste and promotes a circular economy mindset where materials are reused and repurposed rather than discarded.”
Speaking about the benefits of 3D printing in healthcare, Sricharan believes it has the potential to revolutionize medicine. “Advances in bioprinting could make it possible to 3D print organs for transplantation, and more complex medical items will be made using improved multi-material printing.”
#19 My Wife’s 10 Year Old Brother Got A 3D Printer For Christmas. I Joked That He Can Build Me A Playstation. Every Day I’ve Been Asking Him When It’ll Be Ready. Today He Brought Me This. Best Present Ever
#20 Simple Design For A 7 Year Anniversary Present. The Pennies Are Dated With Years That Are Significant To Us
#21 I Hate Flossing, But Flossers Are A Waste Of Plastic, So I 3D Printed A Reusable One!
In the future, many things can be achieved through 3D printing. “Larger build volumes and faster printing rates will enable 3D printing to be a practical choice for mass manufacturing, opening up previously unheard-of possibilities in a variety of industries. Envision entire neighborhoods filled with quickly and effectively built 3D-printed homes, transforming the housing market and tackling problems like disaster relief and affordable housing.”
#22 I Found A Mini Nuclear Power Plant On Thingiverse And Modified It To Fit On My Humidifier
#23 S̵t̵e̵a̵l̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵k̵e̵y̵s̵
#24 Proof That Perseverance Pays Off…my Full Iron Man Suit, Printed In Many, Many Pieces On My Tiny Up Mini Over 6 Months
Talking about the endless possibilities of 3D printing technology, he concluded, “Furthermore, there is even more potential when artificial intelligence and 3D printing are combined. AI is able to optimize designs for material efficiency, strength, and weight, resulting in products that are not only highly functional and sustainable but also inventive.”
#25 My Dad 3D Printed A Lever To Replace His Light Switch
#26 My Partner Keeps Buying Plants So I Have To Keep Designing Plant Pots. Here’s One Of My Latest Ones
#27 Bastard Broke Into The Wrong Goddamn Rec Room
While 3D printing can be beneficial in so many ways, it’s also a great technology to be used on an individual level. These brilliant posts really show how creative people can get with 3D printing. Which one of these creative designs inspires you to get a 3D printer? Don’t forget to upvote the ones you like the most!
#28 I Modeled, Printed, And Painted This Little House To Express My Frustration With The Housing Market
#29 Moon Lamp
#30 Broke My Arm, Got A 3D Printed Cast
#31 Just Had To Do It, I Couldn’t Resist
#32 Don’t Feed Spray Paint After Midnight
#33 I Made This Guitar For My Son’s Birthday
I have a few small things to finish it but it's essentially finished. Printed in PETG on my X1C and I used stone coat epoxy with miraclekoo resin dye. The pickups are fender noiseless n4.
#34 Inserts For My Travel Tool Box
#35 When A Failed Print Is Still A Happy Little Mistake
#36 Just Finished My Arkham Knight Cosplay! Fully 3D Printed And Painted, This Was So Much Fun To Do!
#37 Me And My Son 3D Printed A Life Size Battle Droid. Turns Out They Were Quite Big
#38 Designed A Custom Duck Hunt Display For These Nerf Guns That I Printed Zapper Shells For
#39 Phone No Longer Overheats While Charging In The Sun
#40 Pushing The Limits Of My Multi-Material Printer
#41 I 3D Printed The City Of Denver
#42 I’m Working On A 3D Printable Model Of Bmo From Adventure Time With Accurate Internals!
#43 Everyone Needs A T-Rex Skull For Decor. 😂
#44 3D Printed Ruined Town
#45 I Turned An Mri Of My Own Brain Into An Stl And Then Printed It At 1:1 Scale!
#46 I 3D Printed This Hair Pin And I Love It! So Fancy With The Gold Paint
#47 I Work In It. This Business Card Embosser Should Prevent Countless Calls! /S
#48 Only My Second Print, And I’m In Love
#49 3D Printed Pingpong Paddles
#50 Iron Man Mk3 Helmet – Neptune 4 Pro
#51 Print And Paint
#52 Annoying Pac-Man Ghost I Made
#53 Dakrillith – Trench Terror Fantasy Mini! 3D Printed And Painted
#54 Tabletop Scale Diorama
#55 My 15yo Son 3D Printed Himself!
#56 Made Myself A Gamepad For My Phone
#57 Graffiti Keycaps
#58 Fully Printed Skyrim Skyforge Model
#59 3D Printable Shock Mount For At2020 Microphone
#60 Behold. The Glocktopus. Hes Gunnin For Your Heart
#61 Tales Of Bayun
#62 O.m.g It Turned Out Just Like I Had Designed It, No Errors
#63 I Made A 3D Printed Top
#64 Full Size Helmet And 650% LEGO Helmet
#65 The Immortalized Art Of Ever Green
#66 Working On Our First Armada Ships
#67 Made An 8-Bit Link With A Small Shelf To Hold Up Nice Prints Or Other Cute Things
#68 For A Shared Flat
#69 Deadpool Bust
#70 I Also Print The Shoes!!! 👟👟👟
#71 Lantern Corps Rings
#72 Sharing: I Made A Spirit Bomb Holding Goku Decor For My Home’s Eyehole With Hueforge
#73 Slab Nerf Blaster – 90%-Ish Done. Prusa Mk. 4 + Mmu3
#74 Pla Grafted Great Sword
#75 Got Some Really Cool Sparkling Gold Pla….anyway Half Of That’s Gone In A Day But Check Out This Sweet Sword LOL
#76 Cyberpunk Patriot Custom Itx PC Build – 3D Printed And Modelled Panels
#77 65 Hours, My Longest Print Ever
#78 Tip: 3D Print Your Mice Before Buying
#79 I Designed And 3D Printed A Mini Dual Flag Holder For My Hitch Receiver! Take That Truck Bros
