Here's a concept rendering of what a 3D-printed plane might look like in the year 2050.
Pretty crazy, huh?
The reality is that 3D-printed components are already out there, in military jets. And it's just a matter of time until the technology gets less expensive and trickles down to other applications. We can already make things like that, we just need to be able to make them larger, and less expensive, in order for them to be practical.
That said, here's a quote that I thought was more interesting than the simple shift in scale and price tag:
“It’s not theoretically impossible,” said Benjamin, who specializes in combining synthetic biology with architectural design. “You can design new products that are not all solid or all aluminum, but a composite material. You’re designing new substances.”
It'll be interesting to see what the future looks like!