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How 3D printing may change sex toys forever
John Hopton for redOrbit.com – @Johnfinitum
Rapidly developing 3D printing technology has already had a major impact in many industries, including space exploration, food, and prosthetics.
But less likely to make the headlines is the impact on the sex toy industry.
Being interested in tech stories from all angles (so to speak), we asked the opinion of Tom Sancelot, who developed the site SexShop3D (NSFW) in anticipation of major market changes as result of 3D printing.
RedOrbit: Has 3D printing changed the sex toy industry already?
Tom Sancelot: We cannot say that 3D printing has changed the sex toy industry yet for the simple reason that not enough people are using 3D printers at the moment. That conclusion does not apply to every industry though; passengers can fly in a plane with hundreds of 3D printed parts and this technology is truly changing the way things are built. 3D printing is affecting the lives of many people without them owning a 3D printer, without them even knowing it.
It is different in our business. The purpose of 3D printing in the sex toy industry is to eliminate the manufacturing step between sellers and consumers. Our customers are able to print a finished, functional product at home for a fraction of the cost and time it would take through the traditional sex toy industry, but they need a 3D printer for that.
RO: What are the advantages of 3D printed toys?
TS: There are many advantages in the concept of 3D printing your own sex toys: increased privacy, customization, speed, cost etc.
The only problem we have today is the materials used in home 3D printing. It’s usually plastic, and the printing process itself is an issue, too. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers create objects by laying down successive layers of material and this creates microscopic gaps between layers. That’s obviously not the best for a sex toy, so at the moment we recommend printing your sex toys with ABS plastic and smoothing the surface by using sandpaper. We also like to spray thin coats of silicone to make them perfectly smooth.
We are working on finding more suitable materials and printing techniques. Soon we will finally be able to say that 3D printing sex toys at home is the best option in every aspect. The sex toy industry is not regulated; sex toys are actually considered “novelty items” for a “novelty use.” If the technology allows us to directly print safe products with safe materials, then we will have changed the sex toy industry for the better (at least from a consumer’s point of view).
The adult industry has often been a driving force behind technology. If we think about home video or credit cards for example, they owe thanks to the adult industry for becoming as mainstream as they are today. If 3D printing can help the sex toy industry, the reverse can also be true.
RO: What significant changes might we see in future? At the most extreme, could this include an element of bioprinting?
TS: As the technology is entering the homes of more and more people, I think we will see consumers gradually switching to another way of shopping. Instead of buying a finished product online or at the local store, they will purchase a digital file of the product and simply print it at home with their own specifications. I believe it will deeply affect the sex toy industry, but 3D scanning is on the rise too, and new business deals will be made between sex shops and movie performers, for example.
For that particular use of the technology to include an element of bioprinting, I think we are talking decades into the future. I might be wrong because there are no boundaries, but while I think bioprinting is great for humanity, I’m not sure it is the best for sex toys.
First, it will be expensive. Second, where do we stop? Broadly speaking I think we must set aside the moral questions we might have on bioprinting because it is saving lives and improving medicine. But if we start talking about bioprinting and sex toys or sex robots, I think people will start asking questions.
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Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1113398847/how-3d-printing-may-change-sex-toys-forever-052815/
