Right now, the way that we come to own the majority of the objects in our homes is extremely inefficient. We buy furniture made in Sweden, glasses manufactured in Taiwan, electronics assembled in China, and so on and so forth. Every time we need an object, we (increasingly) go to a big box store like Target or Wal-Mart or Ikea, which collect various objects manufactured and then shipped from all over the world. This is pretty rudimentary stuff, but it’s a fairly apt way of describing the way the global manufacturing economy works.

Fortunately, this model, with supply chains stretching across China to South America to the US, may be on its way out, thanks to 3D printing. 3D printing is already fairly common in the industrial sector, and engineers use it to test out designs for new products. But it’s also inching nearer and nearer to commercial realization as well. My colleague Lloyd Alter points us to this charming video illustrates what a world stocked with 3D printers might look like:

FULL PRINTED from nueve ojos on Vimeo.

It seems fantastical, but in reality it’s not too far off. Why not? Well, this video from National Geographic will explain:

Indeed: We’re a few steps closer to the Star Trek-style replicator that could conjure objects upon demand. Of course, that raises a bunch of interesting questions itself, like what a capitalist economy would look like when you can get everything you need with the press of a button.

Regardless, the convenience and ecological benefits of not having to ship goods around the world should prove a major boon to societies everywhere.

Photo: Creative Tools via Flickr/CC BY

More on 3D Printing
Self-Replicating 3D Printers Could Prompt Manufacturing Revolution
3D Organ Printer Creates Kidney On-Stage at TED Conference