While we often tout the benefits of 3D printing, there is a darker side to the technology. 3D printers and 3D scanners make it easy to reverse engineer existing products.
According to industry analyst Gartner, “The plummeting costs of 3D printers, [3D] scanners, and 3D modelling technology, combined with improving capabilities, makes the technology for IP theft more accessible to would-be criminals". But Gartner does qualify their claim stating, “Importantly, 3D printers do not have to produce a finished good in order to enable IP theft. The ability to make a wax mould from a scanned object … can enable the thief to produce large quantities of items that exactly replicate the original."
In their report, “Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users for 2014 and Beyond” Gartner touches on a number of potential disruptive innovations aside from 3D Printing and IP theft.
One notable entry is the group’s prediction that bio-printing is set to make an ethical impact on the World. For more on this please click here.
Source: Gartner