3D printing is effective and creates the impression that you can create virtually anything – from edible fruit to body parts. And while it may be possible in the future, today we have to be content with 3D accessories that meet our requirements to a lesser extent.
3D printing is believed to revolutionize many industries.
Do travelers and tourists have a chance to use it? How far is it possible to use 3D printing in tourism? Or maybe 3D printing itself can become a tourist attraction?
Let’s check!
The use of 3D printing in tourism – aviation industry
What can our vacation flight and 3D printing have in common? 3D printers have been used by the aviation industry to create machine elements for years. They are as durable as traditional elements, and at the same time – which is extremely important in this industry – much lighter.
That’s not all.
3D printing allows you to obtain complex shapes of objects while generating minimal waste. The best example of the use of 3D printing in the aviation industry is Airbus.
3D printed parts weigh 30 to 50% less than conventionally produced parts. As much as 90% less waste is also created when printing them. An additional advantage of 3D printing is its relatively low price and the possibility of repeated testing and printing of improved prototypes.
The use of 3D printing in tourism – luggage
Packing for your trip is time consuming and requires good planning. In addition – if you are going to travel by plane – you have to take into account the weight of your luggage. Moving around with heavy travel suitcases and lifting them is not pleasant.
Moreover, there are few things that can spoil a trip as much as lost luggage.
What does 3D printing have to do with it?
It is expected that in the future it will be possible to send a file with the designs of your belongings to the selected hotel, which will be printed on the spot and… will be waiting for us upon arrival. For now, such a solution is still in the sphere of plans and artistic visions – see Janne Kyttanen’s work entitled “Lost luggage”, in which you can find a nice set of clothes and accessories printed in 3D technology.
3D printer in the hotel
Would it make sense to share the 3D printer with hotel guests? Would the possibility of printing lost sunglasses or a hat increase the comfort of tourists?
Even scientists are trying to answer this question.
An interesting study was conducted at the University of Edinburgh. A group of tourists was provided with a 3D printer, thanks to which they could print a souvenir for themselves. It turned out that while the printed souvenirs were not later used or even displayed at home, tourists remembered the emotions that accompanied them when creating these souvenirs (more here).
So it looks like the biggest benefit isn’t getting the printed item. The very possibility of 3D printing is the biggest attraction.
Hotel 3D – industrial 3D printing in practice
3D printing houses is always loud when a new building is created in the world. Then we watch it with curiosity, wondering how it is possible to build a house in such a short time – and not just any house. Solid, made of concrete. In some parts of the world, you can even see what it is like to live in such a building.
Example?
The Lewis Grand Hotel, located in the Philippines, is the first hotel ever to offer a 3D villa rental. There are two bedrooms, a living room and a jacuzzi. It took only about … 100 hours to build the whole thing.
3D restaurant
Going out to a restaurant during your vacation can be even more exciting if it turns out that both cutlery, dishes and furniture, and – and most of all – the meals you ordered were created thanks to a 3D printer.
Such attractions can be found, among others, in the Food Ink restaurant.
The use of 3D printing in tourism, or how to make your trip easier with a home 3D printer
A home 3D printer is equipment that can now be purchased for less than 300 euros. It can be used not only for education or entertainment. Thanks to it, we can print many items that may be useful, or even necessary, during the trip. What’s more, each of them is light and durable at the same time, which is important during every trip. Designs for them can be found on the web and their download is free.
What are these items?
- Headphone holder – no more cables getting tangled every time we put the headphones in our pocket,
- Garbage bag holders in the car. Sitting in the back, hook them to the front seat and hang the “ears” of plastic bags on them,
- Cups with a straw – especially useful when children are traveling with us. Such self-printed mugs can be an attraction in themselves!
- Clips for bags. Necessary at home, but also outside, especially if we sleep in a cottage or in a tent – the ants will immediately sense where the food is, if we do not secure it properly,
- Telephone amplifier. You don’t need to take your speakers with you to listen to music on the phone. The 3D printed amplifier works reliably, and moreover – it looks phenomenal thanks to the large tube!
- Stand for a smartphone or tablet. Indispensable if we want to watch a movie while away. We will appreciate their practicality, especially if children are traveling with us,
- Organizers for SD and microSD cards. As you know, their size makes them extremely easy to lose. Thanks to the organizer, we will always have them arranged, in their place, at hand.
- 3D carabiners – useful especially for all trips with a backpack,
- U-shaped hooks allow you to hang almost anything. They are useful where there is little space, as well as wherever we do not necessarily want to put something on the floor.
It is worth taking a look omni3d.com where industrial 3D printers carry out wonderful projects that in the near future may become a contribution to the development of tourism in areas completely unknown to us today!
And how do you see the practical application of 3D printing in the tourism industry?