Are 3D printers a toy or best left to the professionals?

3D Systems is discontinuing it’s desktop Cube 3D printer, effectively exiting the consumer space.  The company states that this “reflects management’s plans to focus its resources and strategic initiatives on near-term opportunities and profitability”.  Essentially it’s cost cutting and prioritizing resources to the currently more lucrative professional market.  The stock (DDD) has been pretty ugly the last year or so and this type of move is not unexpected.  It just makes one wonder if there really is a consumer market “just around the corner” or if 3D printing is going to be more of a professional tool for the foreseeable future?

Do you wonder if people are looking at you?  Maybe you’re a women like in this video and are gawked at by men and women alike when ? (actually has a good message overall about checking yourself for breast cancer)  A new 3D printed garment reacts when someone looks at it.  Maybe someday we’ll all have to be a little more careful of what we look at as there may be sensors leading to “booty alarms” when people check out our butt!

For the ladies this is a mascara alert as doctors take 3D ultrasound information and use it to 3D print a 3D representation of the baby for a blind mother.  As an expectant father, I can imagine how she must feel and the gift that 3D technology has given her that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago.  If you’re interested the company WolfPrint 3D does this commercially.