The 3D printers we have in the architecture school print starch and ABS models. They cost around $3-4 per cubic inch, and one method of reducing cost is to crea

The 3D printers we have in the architecture school print starch and ABS models. They cost around $3-4 per cubic inch, and one method of reducing cost is to create hollow volumes instead of solid ones. But then they're reduced to visual study models, rather than any potentially functional ones. I'm interested in seeing how the print materials will evolve. Current materials are great for prototyping and generating forms, but materials like starch are very brittle, and anything less than .125" thick will usually break. It would be great to print models that are not only functional and durable, but viable as end products. A lot of attention is on 3D printing, but that's connected to a larger set of technologies that make up "digital fabrication," which includes laser-cutting and stereolithography, etc. Laser-cutting is as significant as 3D printing, I think, as you can design interesting 2D patterns as well as folded surfaces, that can be aesthetic or even structural. For one of my projects this semester, I created a nice set of computer speakers for my macbook, out of foamcore(!). I lasercut the foam to create the housing for the speakers, and encase the circuit board that had the power and volume controls. The next step is to buy higher-end speakers and create the housing out of high-grade wood for better acoustics. Anyway, the point is, you can make a lot of interesting things with digital fabrication.. I don't think it'll be as ubiquitous as inkjet printing, but more similar to the structure of Software Development Kits, where industrial designers will facilitate co-creating your customized products. I can imagine separate teams of designers making customized laptop chassis, medical equipment, cell phones, etc...