Applications of 3D printing fall into two broad categories: consumer and commercial. Consumer applications at present have tended to focus on making gadgets for hobbyists. The relatively high cost of a consumer 3D printer ($1,500 to $2,000 on average) has thus far limited individual ownership to select hobbyists and enthusiasts. However, the variety of consumer applications is continuing to increase. Some current applications include:

• Customized household items like containers, hooks, and cooking utensils
• Mattel & Autodesk’s allows children to design toys
• Customized jewelry and fashion
• Diverse novelty items such as camera and watch components, musical instruments

Fueling the increasing variety of designs are online platforms such as Thingiverse and Pinshape that share open source digital designs. In addition, there are a growing number of brick-and-mortar fabrication shops (“fabshops”) in urban areas that offer 3D printing access to a wider audience of people through collective use.

Commercial applications initially focused on rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept for manufacturing. However, the commercial applications have evolved to include more complex applications such as:

• Parts manufacturing (e.g., Mercedes-Benz Truck, BMW Group, GE, Airbus)
• Consumer goods production (e.g., Adidas 3D-printed sneakers)
• Individualized healthcare products (e.g., prosthetics and orthotics)
• Automobile manufacturing (e.g., Local Motor’s electric car “Strati” and self-driving electric shuttle “Olli”)
• Delivery drone production (e.g. Amazon)