Blog session 6- Summary of career related article- Section: Art and Design

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2013/nov/08/faces-3d-printing-prosthetics

This week in London, there was a fair called "3D Printshow" that showed different elements and applications for the avant technology of 3D printers. Among the common uses of figurines and what not there was a particularly interesting use for this printers, which shows a promising development that could have an important application.
What seems in first look, described by the writer of the news, like a booth of noses, faces, ears and every face part in part or in whole, scattered, in every color or skin tone, was a marvelous idea worth of writing about.

Industrial designer Tom Fripp, first brought a 3D printer to his office to make quick model products, being an industrial design office. But then the University of Sheffield asked them to print something that resembled soft tissue, and after years of development and the inclusion of "Wellcome Trust", they came up with a whole new concept and made the first series of 3D printed prostheses.

- "Conventional maxillofacial prosthetics are incredibly laborious and expensive to produce," says Fripp. "You have to take an impression from the area of trauma, cast a plaster positive, then make a mold, carve the desired form in wax, and cast it in silicone. The end result of this handmade process costs between £1,500 to £3,000." - (between $1,200,000 chilean pesos and $2,500,000 chilean pesos)

The last paragraph is taken directly from the news, I thought it was important to put it as is, because of two points, first being the fact that it explains the whole news and its importance to art, science and technology, and the second fact being that the importance of this development is that the execution of the process leaves a lot less space for the person's trauma to be a part of the process, a few snapshots of the patients face, then uploaded to the 3D program, and then printed... that for me is the future, in art, design, technology and science. Digital modeling makes it a lot less complicated and cheaper, with less pain and trauma.

So the final product, being a print in silicone doesn’t cost more than £150 ($125,000 chilean pesos) per model.
Only a small fraction and very more suitable for a person who suffered a trauma of this kind.

They hope this to develop further and become common. Prosthetics usually wear out and besides the waste, is also expensive and hard to have options if you have a sun-tan or need options, but with this development it becomes easier and cheaper.

After this medical usage, this will easily become prominent in art, film and theatre.