Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot talked with Mashable about the 3D printing and his views on the future direction of the industry. He believes in the rise of innovation, partially triggered by the wider accessibility of making equipment, specifically the MakerBot (of course.) He says:
Even on a small scale, you have parents who are getting these — you’re going to have kids growing up with a MakerBot. I’m 40 years old now, and when I was growing up, my family got our first computer in 1981. I’m that kid who grew up with a computer who was a total nerd. And we’re going to see the next generation grow up and the kids who have MakerBots are going to be the ones learning how to design a better future and solve problems.I think we’re going to see more innovation happen at the granular, grassroots level that used to only happen at the industrial level. It happened to computers first, then it happened to bookstores with the rise of Amazon, and now it’s happening to things. You’re going to see author tools and integration in all kinds of different industries.
We agree – mostly because we can see this happening before our eyes. Everywhere people have access to incredible making machinery – either at work, at a shared makerspace or perhaps they even own the equipment themselves. In fact, the accessibility of equipment through makerspaces and fabrication centers is far greater than most people suspect – they may simply be unaware such access is available to them.
The increasing presence of this accessibility means Pettis is correct; we will see entrepreneurs build ecosystems on top of the making culture in ways we cannot imagine today.
Via Mashable
