There is no question that 3D printing will change drastically over the next few years but how might 3D printing change the world?
The speed and efficiency will surely improve, opening more and more real world possibilities. Just imagine what the world might look like when 3D printing is 100 times faster. Many industries would no longer need to keep items in stock which can simply be printed at the customers request. For instance, any auto-part store today needs to keep thousands of products on hand, taking up a great deal of precious floor space. However, the day will come when a customer can walk into a store like an auto-parts retailer and simply specify the part they are looking for to have it freshly printed on the spot, within minutes or possibly seconds at some time in the future. There is hardly any retail industry that will not see these types of benefits from 3D printing over the next decade.
Speed is just one factor of 3D printing which is obvious to foresee improving in the future. One can only dream about what else lies around the corner. These dreamers will be pushing the limits far into the future as many already do today with constant improvements in costs, materials, waste efficiency and new possible dimensions both large and small. These types of innovations, along with many others, occur nearly daily. Keep your imagination dreaming and you may be able to change the world yourself with 3D printing.