Fabricated tells the story of 3D printers, humble manufacturing machines that are bursting out of the factory and into schools, kitchens, hospitals, even onto the fashion catwalk. Fabricated describes our emerging world of printable products, where people design and 3D print their own creations as easily as they edit an online document. A 3D printer transforms digital information into a physical object by carrying out instructions from an electronic design file, or "blueprint." Guided by a design file, a 3D printer lays down layer after layer of a raw material to "print" out an object. That's not the whole story, however. The magic happens when you plug a 3D printer into today's mind-boggling digital technologies. Add to that the Internet, tiny, low cost electronic circuitry, radical advances in materials science and biotech and voila! The result is an explosion of technological and social innovation. Fabricated takes the reader onto a rich and fulfilling journey that explores how 3D printing is poised to impact nearly every part of our lives.

Readers will meet pioneering teachers, small businesses, artists, surgeons and researchers who are applying 3D printing and innovative design software to expand the limits of what they do Non-experts will learn the basics of 3D printing technologies and design software as explained in lucid, non-technical language Readers will learn about weird and wonderful applications of 3D printing such as printing food, dental crowns and someday… replacement heart valves, organs and joints Readers will gain insight into a whole new level of intellectual property challenges as 3D printers enable people to make copies -- even "edit" -- commercial products and works of art Readers with a taste for science fiction will glimpse a not-so-distant 3D printed future that's taking shape as leading researchers explore ways to 3D print smart materials and ready-made robots Aimed at people who enjoy books on business strategy, popular science and novel technology, Fabricated will provide readers with practical and imaginative insights to the question "how will this technology change my life?" Based on hundreds of hours of research and dozens of interviews with experts from a broad range of industries, Fabricated offers readers an informative, engaging and fast-paced introduction to 3D printing now and in the future. About the authors: Co-authors Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman are leading experts on 3D printing, frequently speaking and advising on this technology to industry, academia, and government. Lipson's lab at Cornell University has pioneered interdisciplinary research in 3D printing, product design, artificial intelligence, and smart materials. Kurman is a technology analyst and business strategy consultant who writes about game-changing technologies in lucid, engaging language.