Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology, the forerunner to 3D printing has been around since the 1980s, but it has only relatively recently become visible in the mainstream.
Designers have used 3D-printing techniques to create a variety of items, from jewelry to individualized football boots and even a grandfather clock. One group is currently working on making an airplane wing.
The medical world has high hopes for 3D printing. Medical News Today has already reported on the use of 3D technology to make part of a sternum that surgeons successfully implanted into a cancer patient.
