[quote]By Prashant Shankar
Online Writer
Photo by Jack Heerhold[/quote]

The world is always looking forward to the invention of hoverboards, holograms, and virtual reality, but there’s a new technology that’s silently changing the world: 3-D printing.

3-D printing was an idea that was finally produced in 1984, but didn’t pick up steam until a few years ago. In fact, Metea now has its own 3-D printers.

“We have one in the technology-engineering department as well as one for the school,” CTE department chair Brian Giovanini said. “In our technology and engineering’s Project Lead the Way program, students develop a design, they 3-D print it to look at the structural components of it, and the overall design of how it looks once it actually becomes a 3-D product. It allows them to get better feedback, and also to see where they want their design to go from there.”

However, 3-D printing isn’t just for building neat designs. According to NPR, the first successful 3D printed rib cage was implanted by Spanish doctors a few days ago. The China Daily reported that eastern Chinese doctors even successfully used a 3D-printed heart in the surgery of a nine-month old baby a month ago.

“I’ve heard a little how it’s progressing in the medical field recently,” Giovanini added. “[With] the advancements they have with [3-D printing], I think it just allows professionals and researchers to see things in different angles, and what they can find from it is amazing.”

With all the recent advancements, people are wondering if 3-D printing will become a household item in the future, or just a medical tool.

“3-D printing is definitely the next big thing. I can see many uses in industrial, medical, and practical [fields],” senior Herven Barsham said. “Some [3-D] printers can even print pizzas.”

Although 3-D printing is something many people expect to see more in the future, the cost for a 3-D printer is at least $300, making it a luxury household object today.