Sunday, February 10, 2013

Science fiction films have been either delighting us or frightening us with their visions of how machines will take over and control much of our lives in the future. Just how true those 1950s films were has, in some respects, come to be in the fast pace of manufacturing with machines not only doing the work, but delivering the work and anticipating the need for materials at any given site. It is as though, HAL had come to rule the world of manufacturing.

One of the most fascinating areas which I happened to stumble upon and which relates to how powerful even small machines in people's homes may become recently hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks. Are you familiar with 3-D printers? You probably are, but as most of us, they seem useful tools for giving us incredible access to personal creativity which may or may not have some monetary outcome.

Given the proper materials, the design and the 3-D printer, we could theoretically make any part that we need for anything in our homes so that we would be almost totally self-sufficient. Not only do they allow us to design and make all kinds of objects, tools, artwork, etc., but they can also make incredible things from food ingredients. Yes, the 3-D printer will be coming to a culinary kitchen in your favorite restaurant very soon.

If whimsy isn't something that interests you, how about medical engineering? I know, of course, that when I say medical engineering most people will think of bionics or prosthetics or something of that nature. True, that is within the range of these incredible printers and I can imagine that, once again, that will be in the not too distant future.

Bioengineering, in and of itself, conjures up visions of things titanium, copper, steel or whatever other useful material can be utilized. But recently I became aware of the fact that these printers are being used in research projects where they will begin to manufacture not only blood vessels, but potentially replaceable organs. The thought to me was incredible that someone could "print" an organ (someone has already printed a kidney) and then I came across an even more futuristic and, I have to admit, somewhat unsettling research area for 3-D printers; stem cell production.

Stem cells, as we all know, are the undifferentiated building blocks of anything we want them to be as long as we place them in the correct environment. We still have stem cells within our body, some of them even in almost inaccessible area of the brain. They sit there almost like the spare tire in our cars waiting for us to get a flat so that we can use them. How can we use something that we can't access which we know is there and is like something more valuable than anything imaginable? So, why not take one and try to make it with a 3-D printer? If we have the design and we have the materials, perhaps we can do it.

This breakthrough if it ever comes to fruition will be more than Nobel Prize worthy. It will dwarf any of the other recent advances in the last 100 years, I think. Imagine being able to make one of these undifferentiated, master cells and then use it for all kinds of repair in the human body.

It is almost unimaginable and it is quite God-like. Not everyone is going to rush to accept this technology or even to help make it possible because it will offend their beliefs and stir up incredible anxiety.

So, the researchers have begun their tennis match and one can only wonder what the outcome will be.

Source for more information: http://www.reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page