I've been exploring 3D printing since about 2006 as it was introduced as a prototyping tool in university. Now there's talk of 'a 3D printer in every home', which I'm still skeptical about in reality. What would people use it for? How willing are non designers and engineers to learn to model their ideas? Will the proliferation of these machines be akin to 'laymen' getting their hands on Adobe Creative Suite? I can see good things coming out of this trend and also some hype that might not amount to much. Still, I'm curious to see how the next few years play out and would like to remain a part of it.

Below are a few quick projects I've modeled that demonstrate uses that seem viable to me: demonstrating concepts and models, prototyping for ergonomic information or user testing, and replacing broken products of manufactured goods.