Three-D printing for everyone leads the way January 6-9 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The event attracts business leaders in consumer electronics industries. Although it is not open to the public, the products of big exhibitors are likely to be available (and cheaper) by the next year.
In 2015, the Hovertrax with its two motorized wheels and gyroscopes took techies by storm. The device is like a Segway, without a handle. In 2015 the Hovertrax and others like it cost about $450, but are now available through online retailers such as Amazon and Wal-Mart for about $300.
But this year, 3-D printers are likely to be the rage. The devices now come as inexpensive at $1,300 and are the ultimate in DIY project tools. Already there are lots of working applications for 3-D printing in the medical, science and other creative industries. The key here is that the technology will now be a consumer device. That means you. Maybe you'll replace a game piece; make a vase; create sculpture; or fashion a broken mower part at your desk. One maker, 3-D Systems, compares 3-D printing to the advent of the photocopier or desktop printer.
The first show, held in New York City in 1967, drew about 20,000 people to see pocket-sized radios, televisions and tape recorders.
If 3-D printing is the wave of the future, then the technology is debuting in the right place. The CES is where the plasma TV and Xbox got their start.
