The Future of 3D Printing Is Literally Massive

When you think of 3D printing, it’s likely in terms of its ability to print human-scale objects: cups, candleholders and other handheld objects. The higher-end applications of this technology have also been used for medical procedures; even so, they’re being used to create things that go into the human body, as opposed to things that are the size of a human body - if not larger. A new article at The Economist suggests that might all be about to change, though. To what extent, you might ask? Well, it opens with a 3D printer being used to make a 25-foot boat. The article notes that previous attempts at large-scale 3D printing have been plagued with inaccuracies. A new printer at the University of Maine, where the boat was created, puts a new spin on the technology to avoid this issue.