3D Printing - The Missing Link in the Blockchain Revolution?
One of the things that has been holding digital currency back is the need to convert to fiat before buying physical goods and services. It is certainly possible to directly deliver services in exchange for digital currency but physical goods is a bigger barrier. However, with the mainstreaming of 3D printing, it may be possible to bypass both the payment and supply chain bottlenecks and deliver physical objects directly to the end user in exchange for digital currency.
Once this takes root, the existing middleman-based economy may be tossed overboard for much of what we need in everyday life. The Star Trek replicator will have moved much closer to reality. The peer-to-peer path from gold backed Quints to "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot" will be in place. What could go wrong?
Check out what's already possible today:
On Demand Printing Takes Penn State Team to Africa
It might even be possible to 3D print a meat-lover's pizza...
...or a concrete house!
Could this be what had Michael Taggart so excited at our recent meeting in Boise last week?
You ain't seen noting yet!
I am a big follower of 3D printing. I predict 3D will take off like blockchain did this year in about 18 months. 2020 is when the technology should be ready for prime time.
Over the next 10 years, we will see manufacturing streamlined with a lot of steps eliminated. People do not realize they will order someone online, that order will be sent to a local fulfillment house that prints it out and wil be delivered, most likely by drone.
The entire process will be automated with no people involved. Of course payments, since it is automated, will have to be digitized and blockchain will ensure all parties are aware of what was paid.
You are right, it is a match made in heaven. We should also see many machine learning projects tied into blockchain.
Great article. Also, I did a long detailed post on the application of the Blockchain Technology.
https://iwillteachucrypto.com/25-live-changing-startups-projects-applications-using-blockchain-technology-since-2013/
Hmm i see 3D printing taking over.
I see an obvious trap here, that could lead to 'locked down' 3D printers that would refuse to print a design unless it has been paid for. I imagine however that having a system which pays for materials and time spent printing using cryptocurrencies would be a huge win, especially if it can incentivize plastic waste collection and recycling.
I think Dascoin build on graphene technology is solving that, using crypto to buy goods with daspay.
Hi @stan ! 3D Printing is amazing. I tested it from its beginnings when it was just for small 50 cm prototypes. Looking at it as a disruption to the construction industry is crazy, but considering all the research being made, and the current technologies, including an australian company that is already building homes with this technology (https://www.fbr.com.au/), I made a few posts about it, I believe this is the future for construction, and
why not bitshares 2.0 being the means of payment and other logistics been constrolled with EOS smart contracts?
Regards, @gold84
PRINT IT
3D Printing and Blockchain technology are two of the fascinating wonder topics to me. I'm excited to see these two game changers collide and became mainstream in the near future.