I had a very inspirational conversation with my friend Eric. We are both really into VR. He is also an artist. Last week we chatted about future technologies and the amazement of possibilities. While thinking outload, he blurted, ‘what if you could design something in VR then later print it in 3D!‘ **
I thought this was a phenomenal idea, especially after only 30-minutes of discussing this topic. We discussed a dozen brilliant ideas (subscribe by email to receive my future posts of these ideas 😉 ) but this one was my favorite, hands down.
The artistic possibilities are out of this world. Imagine having the ability to create something with your hands right in front of you.
Unfortunately, if I tried to think of what humans could create, I probably wouldn’t even scrape the surface. There are so many builders, painters, and designers that would blow our minds with their creations. The obvious things that come to mind are pottery items and household furniture. But what if went a step further and built 3D versions of famous paintings, like the last supper or Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s four seasons. Again, those ideas are amateur compared to what is possible.
Even further, the possibilities for invention and creation would be pushed to the brink. You could do rapider prototyping because you wouldn’t be restricted to a 2D monitor. What’s more, you’ll have a back button if you make a mistake as well as a number of photoshop-like tools to help you perfect your creation.
To really understand why this concept is so mind-blowing, you need to have had a virtual reality experience. I didn’t really understand the hubris about VR until I tried it. Now I’m a believer. It’s a wild experience and in 10 years we’ll be laughing at ourselves for paying to see 2D movies. I haven’t yet met many people who’ve had a VR experience. Nevertheless, as soon as VR becomes ubiquitous, the creations will begin to flow!
** unsurprisingly, this has already been discussed online. The concept is still new to me and I wanted to write about it nonetheless.