3D is really old technology already, they are are already talking about how 4d printing is the next thing.

3D printing has grown in sophistication since the late 1970s; TED Fellow Skylar Tibbits is shaping the next development, which he calls 4D printing, where the fourth dimension is time. This emerging technology will allow us to print objects that then reshape themselves or self-assemble over time. Think: a printed cube that folds before your eyes, or a printed pipe able to sense the need to expand or contract.

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I have always wanted to get myself a 3d printer and play around with the possibilities. They are getting to the "affordable" point now for an average user.

Thanks for the post, 3d printing has so many benefits and useful applications. It will be exciting to watch it grow in the future.