While the 3D printing process is undeniably cool, most of the stuff you see made belongs in the coin operated toy machines found at laundry mats (POGs, homies). Mostly roughly finished single piece objects, that while made with in a remarkable process aren’t that remarkable themselves. Then you have projects like this. You may not be able to print your own bike at home with commercially available 3D printers currently but it is a step in the right direction…
“People in Amsterdam will soon be able to cycle over the world’s first 3D-printed steel bridge on the world’s first 3D-printed steel bicycle. The Arc Bicycle was designed by a student team at TU Delft and 3D-printed from steel by MX3D – the research studio that plans to use the same technique to create a bridge over a canal in the Dutch capital. Created as part of a three-month project, the bicycle’s frame is made from a metal lattice welded in layers by robots. MX3D’s six-axis robotic arms allow metals and resins to be printed mid-air in any direction, without the need for support structures.”
