The coming 3D printing disruption

This is a patent awarded to Lego for the design of the standard modular brick sets in 1961. It is now expired. This is a printable Lego designed exactly to those same specifications (click to view model on Thingiverse) This is a Lego to Tinkertoy adapter, part of the Free Universal Construction Kit. There is no financial reason for such a thing to exist by either of these companies. This is "Rebecca at the Well", a statue on display at the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania. The model was produced from photos taken on a phone. This is the lower receiver of an AR-15 .22 caliber pistol. It is the only part of a gun that is registered with a serial number and controlled by the government. This is the same gun fully assembled using off-the-shelf parts legally available. Oh, and it works. This is an exoskeleton that allows a 2-year-old the ability to move her arms for the first time. As she grows new parts can be printed to her exact measurements. This is a custom designed Warhammer 40k Dreadnought. It isn't available for download because even though it was made from scratch by user, Games Workshop which owns the IP, issued a DMCA takedown to the Thingiverse and the artist didn't have the money to fight it. A similar model from the Warhammer series was recently uploaded to the Pirate Bay in their new Physibles category for 3D models. And the disruption is just beginning.

Tim Owens

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