photo: John Abella/ BY-NC-SA

Have you ever run out of dishes while you had guests over? Instead of going to buy some more, what if you could make your own dishes with the touch of a button? That’s where a 3D printer comes in handy.

Although 3D printers have been around for 25 years, they’re stepping into the spotlight now. The Mini Maker Faire in Oakland featured a few including the Series 1 by Type A Machines. This printer can produce objects up to 9x9x9 inches by melting environmentally friendly plastic layer by layer into a specific design (see yellow hat for example).

Andrew Rutter, the Founder and CEO of Type A Machines (the man in the yellow hat), warns that 3D printers can possibly duplicate anything. A recent New York Times article says parts of weapons are already being produced on 3D printers, and that regulators will have a hard time monitoring homemade guns. One gun control advocate cited in the Times story says he’s scared of felons having yet another way to access guns. 

Rutter predicts that in the near future, these machines will be in everyone’s home. Until then, interest groups and the government will have more time to come up with a solution.