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The year is 2018.

Advances in manufacturing technology have created the perfect storm for tinkerers and engineers alike.

3D printers and 3D printing have now become the craze.

The usefulness of 3D printers has been ever increasing for the last five years mirroring their popularity in the Digital Age.

The University of Toronto has been hard at work researching and developing the next generation of 3D printers, and specifically, how they will disrupt virtually every industry in the world.

Take the Medical industry for example. A University of Toronto medical based spinoff project called Nia has been laying the groundwork for a revolutionary prosthetic meant to help amputees and those born with defects. By incorporating readily available 3D printed circuits and sensors, Nia plans to lead the way by crafting “thinking” prosthetics that give digital feedback – useful for those that want the most out of their new appendage.

As well as prosthetics, being able to quickly manufacture made-to-order combination pills on a per-patient basis – no more rough estimates for what your body needs – you’ll be able to have a “one does all” capsule that could include your own specific mineral needs that your body isn’t providing naturally..

The fun doesn’t have to end there. With all this medical talk surely there’s going to be some “fun” applications?

Of course there are.

Those that like experimenting with technology, be it analogue or digital, will find that they can both scan their creations, and create parts that may have been damaged or originally missing. There’s even a subset of YouTube content creators that do projects using 3D printing and scanning techniques, such as Adam Savage, of Mythbusters fame, or Mike Boyd, a content creator who learns new skills every week.

3D printing in Toronto has become even easier in the last few years. A simple Google search brings up numerous companies now focusing their efforts on bringing the once complicated procedure to the people. Some organizations, like the Toronto Public Library, offer a cheaper – but self-serve and reservation based system, while companies like 3DPhacktory offer more guided and quick turnarounds on large projects. The difference is much more about how you