It seems 3D printers are the wave of the future. These machines allow the user to download plans and then – within hours – produces a 3D object. Industrial design shops have been using these machines for decades, but it seems there will come a day when they will be as standard in homes as your basic inkjet.

Three-dimensional printers, often called rapid prototypers, assemble objects out of an array of specks of material, just as traditional printers create images out of dots of ink or toner. They build models in a stack of very thin layers, each created by a liquid or powdered plastic that can be hardened in small spots by precisely applied heat, light or chemicals.

Desktop Factory wants to be one of the first companies to deliver a 3D printer for home use, and plans to start selling its first model later this year for $4,995.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/technology/07copy.html?ex=1336190400&en=6a93dd467f495bdd&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss