Follow Up to "3D Printing: More Than a Toy"

Back in January, I had posted on the new and innovative technology of 3D printing.  I had discussed  how 3D printing was becoming much more than a novelty, and had the chance to truly change the landscape of many industries.  Since then, I had not come across any new advancements or news in the 3D printing world, until I came across this incredible article today.

Mick Ebeling tells the story of how he heard of a Sudanese boy named Daniel had his arms detached from his body during the Sudanese government's bombing raids.  That night, he couldn't go to sleep without trying to help out.  He knew he wouldn't be able to help all of the kids who had limbs blown off in the explosions, but he knew he had to try to help Daniel.

Ebeling surrounded himself with the smartest people he could, and they came up with the idea of bringing a 3D printer to Sudan to print the prosthetic arms there, while teaching people in Sudan how to use the printer so they could continue to help more people.

In case you aren't familiar with 3D printers, they mostly operate just as regular printers do.  They are connected to computers, and they print files from the computer.  But, 3D printers are able to print three-dimensional objects right in front of you.  So in this case, the proper materials had to be loaded into the printer, and computer-designed 3D parts of the prosthetic arms were printed on the spot.

In the end, the prosthetic arm worked for Daniel, and will end up helping countless other children who have unfortunately lost their limbs.  It is incredible how the 3D printer is being utilized now even though it has not existed for very long.  Stories like this can only leave us wondering what 3D printers will be doing next.

What other uses do you think 3D printers could have?  Do you see the use of 3D printers growing even more?