Toys made other toys, the Rosetta Stone met the scanner, kids got tricked into eating their veggies, and custom 3D printed fashion went on sale online, all this week in 3D printing.<\/p>\n
Oh, the irony. Cheap desktop 3D printers, which are, for the most part, good for making low-resolution plastic toys, and are about the cost of toys, and, to people like us who work with industrial 3D printers, kind of ARE toys, are causing some discomfort among traditional toy manufacturers. Surely you must be thinking, “But, the more toys the merrier, right?” Well, as researchers from Michigan Technological University discovered, and QZ reported<\/a>, “DIY 3D-printed toys are anywhere from 40%-90% cheaper than buying similar items at retail.” Of course, that could mean spending several hours to print a single Lego block, and kids do go preeeeetty crazy for That One Branded Franchise Toy every year. I think Mattel is safe \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n The Rosetta Stone, inscribed in 196 BCE, unlocked the ancient lost language of heiroglyphs after it was discovered in 1799. It only took us 218 more years to 3D scan it<\/a>, and now, it can be yours in 3D printed form. It’s pretty big, however, so think twice before printing it in a precious metal. And if you do, please, please send pics.<\/p>\nFrom Priceless Artifact to Pricey Print<\/h3>\n