Ai and 3D Printing Revolution
Every technological era has a convergence point.
You have to orient yourself to be in the right place at the right time.
Imagine yourself in the 1970s’ Silicon Valley when people like Jobs and Wozniak started to utilize integrated circuits to build the first consumer-grade computers. Fast forward to the 1980s and the creation of the first user-friendly software. In the 1990s the Internet was introduced culminating with giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. In 2012, Deep Neural Networks were proven useful giving a boost to NVidia, and in a way, later to Tesla. Tesla, in turn, started a revolution for electric vehicles which only now is starting to change manufacturing powerhouses like China, and the automotive giants in Michigan and Germany.
Every technical revolution has a ramp-up time when nothing much seems to be happening, the fulcrum point centered on a few visionaries in a given place, the early adoption phase, and the public explosion.
In 2021, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, we are witnessing a triple revolution. The first one is the ongoing revolution of artificial intelligence (AI), the second one is genetic biotechnology (CRISPR Cas9) and the third one is 3D printing. What’s more exciting they all maybe be connected.
I was introduced to 3D printing by my dear friend Mike for whom I worked in Chicago’s “Mobile Innovation Group” of a major company. The company since then failed to innovate, tumbled down, and never recovered losing to Amazon.
Around 2014, 3D printing experienced an explosion, but to be honest I have ignored it. I am a software developer and printing of low-resolution, gritty plastic trinkets did not excite me.
We kept in touch with Mike and met on weekend mornings at 7 am to discuss robotics and self-driving.
Time has passed, I have moved to Michigan to make a career move from mobile development to automotive, which after all, ended up being much like larger mobile phones with wheels and seats attached.
Today, in 2021, the 3D printing situation is drastically different. In our company, when we need to mount a new camera or other sensors, we 3D print the housing for it. This by itself would not be revolutionary, Covid pandemic, however, changed the perspective.
When the factories abroad started to close many companies experienced shortages of what used to be a mass-produced commodity. Many realized that remote factories may have a labor shortage caused, in this case, by a disease, but also started to realize that this may translate to other problems.
At the same time, we observed the robotic mega-factories of Tesla right here in the USA and started to question, why do we export all work to other countries if it can be done locally.
I follow startups like comma.ai, which have half of a garage of computers doing AI training and the second half doing 3D printing of the parts and enclosures for their OpenPilot product. I believe this is the future of most young companies starting in 2021.
3D printing came a long way, the consumer-grade printers are relatively inexpensive (~400) and can use many types of thermoplastic filament materials with which you can print. The list is long: ABS, Amphora, Carbon Fiber, Conductive, Glow in the Dark, HIPS, Magnetic Iron, Metal, Nylon, PET, PETT, PLA, PVA, Sandstone, TPE, Wood, and probably many more types in the near future. Also, look at the affordable resin printers.
There are commercial 3D printers that are based on resins and metal powders, but they are out of the average garage tinkerer price point. I assume that there will be a commercial printer in every local community printing parts overnight for local businesses. For now, see shapeways.com.
The variety of things that can be printed is limited only by your imagination.
The already mentioned automotive parts and electronic enclosures are apparent, but I have seen everything from robotic arms, flying drones, medical and musical instruments, toys, collectibles, art, food-safe tableware, kitchenware, food containers, casting molds, tools, and more.
Many people may worry that 3D printing adds to plastic pollution, but this does not have to be true, there are already compostable organic filaments made of sugarcane and corn starch such as Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), others can be 100% recyclable. There are companies that specifically convert plastic water bottles into recycled filament.
The recycling of plastics has its very dark side, please see this video.
One of the problems with yesteryear 3D printing was the software, not everyone was able to design a 3D model so most of the people exchanged and printed the same ol’ trinkets.
Today, you can get an Apple phone with a built-in 3D LiDAR scanner which is only a first step in 3D scanning technology.
I expect an explosion in software choices that will take a low-resolution scan or a set of images, create a smooth surface 3D model, design an optimal interior structure, maybe a honeycomb, or some other organic-like porous structure. With simple gestures, you will be able to morph it to your own desires and send it to your 3D printer.
We also live in a time of convergence of generative AI, or generative adversarial networks (GAN) that can design visually appealing concepts based on the dataset of prior samples. The designs could be made, as needed, into structurally optimal, lightest, strongest, most flexible, and most imaginative designs using the same AI techniques.
The field of organic “soft robotics” is nascent. Instead of thinking about robots as iron-grip pliers, you can think of organic velvet-touch with the dexterity of the octopus.
The field of printed, genetically engineered human organs is the next revolution.
Your 3D parts, when combined with electronic sensors, hydraulics, motors, and carbon-fiber ex-skeletons could become the next hit product.
You could become the next concept car, robot, toy, or art designer, right from your own garage. It is truly the time of a new startup era, just like your own Silicon Valley of the past decades.
I imagine that the best 2021 birthday gift, a parent (or a spouse) can give an enterprising teenager (or a spouse), is a good 3D printer. I hope you will join me in this revolution.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Opinions in the article are my own and do not reflect that of my employers.
Finally, enjoy this inspirational video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ni05PZRUw
