This Week in NYC3DP

The Demand For A Practical Education In 3DP Is Accelerating With The Soaring Interest In Our Transformative Technology: Meeting That Demand Will Require Novel Thinking About How To Teach, Tutor & Train In New Ways To Match New Paradigms & New Opportunities…

A Desire Line Demonstrated: Forget the institutional path, what do the people want, need and do…?! Thanks to “Brooklynite on the Ice” (antarcticiana.blogspot.com) and I quote: “…committed by the masses; a pure expression of democratic will, the people manifestly having voted with their feet…” Here is wayfaring as a metaphor for DIY/DIT education in 3DP tech.

In recent posts, I’ve started outlining how I think “i3E” is likely to drive 3DP implementation. (Our i3E mantra stands for Inspiration, Education, Entrepreneurship & Economic development.)

The most important driver here at the start of the process—singularly and socially—is education. Teaching the tech will make all the difference in the “how-to” of integrating 3DP into our commercial and common-good betterment—especially at our “action unit” of the local community.

In my last post on this topic, I “bulleted” a number of concepts in the “teaching of” at our 3DP Revolution—the new and necessary education in how-to implement 3DP in our real world. Here is a repeat of that list—followed by my deeper dive into the first of these specific ideas:

• Teaching-The-Teachers Salon
• The Classroom On 3DP Steroids
• Maker Space Grassroots-Ed
• Drop-Out Drop-In
• Workforce Development
• Economic Development Organization (EDO) Academies
• Startup/Ramp-Up On-The-Job-Training (OJT)
• Volunteering To Advance
• The “3DP Guild-Gang”

Teaching-The-Teachers Salon

First, we need to educate educators. The folks who can multiple “The 3DP Word” across groups of interested students—even if they are already teachers—of the technology. This does NOT need to take place in traditional educational settings. In fact, formal, credentialed and/or institutional educator norms are probably the last avenue of advance—while eventually a necessary one in saturation or end-game scenarios—in our kick-off educational effort. But—in today’s enriched, enabling and omni-present tech environment—we certainly do not need to start with raising barriers to access or empowerment via standard modes of teaching colleges…

3DP is—uniquely—a hyper-local, grassroots, DIY/DIT (Do-It-Together)-capable technology. I’ve held forth here before about the inherent “democratization” engine of 3DP. That is the ability of this revolutionary tech to empower the individual tinkerer or artisan or innovator on the kitchen table, at garage bench or in the incipient eCottage.

With auto-empowerment in mind, let’s talk about “desire lines.” This phrase is a delightful term art in economic development, travel patterns and commuting vectors that we can borrow to illustrate the democratization-power of 3DP.

(From left) Brad Chapman, Technology Specialist at Kauffman Labs, conceptualizes with his hands for Panelist Dr. Haytham Elhawary, Exec Director, Zahn Innovation Center, CCNY, CUNY — who had just spoken at “Lessons Learned: 3D Printers in the Classroom,” at “Inside 3D Printing NY” trade show at the Javits Center on 3 April 2014.

When it’s important to them, people find their own paths to desired goals. Regardless of the prescribed way-faring, “logical” routes or preformed infrastructure that may—or may not—be in place to get them there.

These informal “paths” are desire lines—what folks on the ground wish were in place to enable new ways of “getting there.” When these “lines” do not exist, people cobble them up—until demonstrated demand eventually forces the infrastructure into existence.

The same holds true with education in 3DP technology. People want the knowledge to get into the 3DP game. Some see this demonstrated desire as an opportunity to both empower people—and create a cadre of believer/teachers who will geometrically multiply that effort in enablement.

(Yeah, “cadre.” A framework, nucleus or core group of often DIY/DIT trained, unified and inspired people who are capable of assuming/taking control and educating others to a like-level of action-making/taking. This venerable word gets great use in revolutions—like our current 3DP-driven upheaval. This cadre vector applies to our teaching the teacher…in this iteration perhaps “barefoot pedagogues”…)

So, if we eschew the educational establishment—at least for the moment—where are the 3DP desire lines and self-coalescing cadre driving us?

The ultimate “coalescer” in our grassroots change-making is the Internet. The Internet empowers desire-line creation. The Internet enables the DIY/DIT education that drives our 3DP community-level action.

Think in terms of online education and the small-group learning. Just-Enough-Training (JET) make things happen. And, JET begins to build 3DP-revolution momentum. Especially in training the trainers, the teachers, the cadre…at the hyper-local level of our communities.

3DP & EDU & KIDS: Our Posterized Invitation…

Thus: capture the small classes by the DIY experts on video and narrowcast them, Webinar them and live stream them on the Internet. Voila: grassroots online ed for the 3DP cadre—and everyone else. The Webinar “teachers’ college.” The Meetups as TeachUps. The Skillshare concept. The General Assembly mode writ large. The curricula cobbled up by cadre in the trenches along those Desire Lines…

We have much more to talk about as we work our way down our list of 3DP-education “bullets” for action.

C’mon Back!

LAND

For Most Just Now, 3DP Is That “Bright & Shiny Thing” Magnetic To The Magpie In Us Humans; 3DP Is New And Novel In Our Commercial And Community Environments; Almost Everyone With Interest Is Going-Up The Learning Curve Of Understanding The Technology…

Three Experts in 3DP Education enjoy the moment: these Panelists have just spoken at “Lessons Learned: 3D Printers in the Classroom,” at “Inside 3D Printing” trade show at the Javits Center on 3 April 2014; (left to right) Tom Meeks, Training Director, YouthQuest Foundation, Inc.; Joseph Scott, Vice President, Scott & Associates; Dr. Haytham Elhawary, Director, Zahn Innovation Center, CCNY, CUNY.

…and we’re often equally positioned in our ignorance. Ironically—as I will explain—that’s probably a good thing at this stage of our Society-wide introduction to 3DP. As William Gibson—noir science-fiction author and cyberpunk prophet said in 1993—”The future is already here. It’s just not very evenly distributed.”

So, fully one-third of those recently polled want a desktop 3D printer in their homes. The other two-thirds may have a hard time spelling “3DP”—let alone conceiving how the technology physically works its Additive-Manufacturing magic.

So, as I stated a few posts ago (on this same topic of the “How-T0″ of 3DP Implementation), 3D Printing and Digital Fabrication education is key to integrating this new—and VERY powerful—technology into both our commerce and our common-good.

Technological newness levels the playing field. The haves and the have-nots play fairly for a time—as the 1 over 99 asymmetry has not yet distorted the rules and paid off the refs and bribed the best players.

No institutions or organizations have managed to entrench 3DP “credential-ism.” There’s no 3DP Ph.D on offer just now. No band of proprietary professionals or trade association have yet formulated a governing regimen. Further, little or no regulation or public policy has been put in place to guide (or constrain) early players.

Thus—beyond those imposed by IP protections—there are no current barriers to entry into our 3DP wonderland. Education is the engine and the train is leaving the station…

Not to strain this metaphor too far…but you could think about the different “cars” in which you might ride this express to your personal 3DP glory. Here’s how you might journey into our mutual future—via venues and/or modes—as headlined by bullet-point:

• Teaching-The-Teachers Salon
• The Classroom On 3DP Steroids
• Maker Space Grassroots-Ed
• Drop-Out Drop-In
• Workforce Development
• Economic Development Organization (EDO) Academies
• Startup/Ramp-Up On-The-Job-Training (OJT)
• Volunteering To Advance
• The “3DP Guild-Gang”

Each of these headlines entitles an education strategy for your—or your local communities—”How-To” of 3DP implementation. I’m going to flesh-out each of these modes in my next post(s) on this particular part of our high-balling Education Express to 3DP fulfillment…

AND—as I said at the start of this post—many of us are equally positioned in our ignorance of 3DP. THIS is a good thing. Unlike the rest of our Asymmetric Society and our 1/99 Disequilibrium, 3DP is new to most of our fellow citizens (and potentially renewable Middle Class). Thus, a very-large percentage of our population will have a (refreshingly!) equal opportunity to leverage 3DP for new jobs, new businesses and new economic development.

C’mon Back!

LAND

I3DP NY ’14 Was The Second Iteration Of This Pioneering 3DP Conference & Expo & It Improved On The Premier Effort Of April 2013 With More Keynotes, Speakers, Sessions, Exhibitors, Attendance—AND An Added & Integrated “Maker Summit & Pavilion…”

Avi Reichental, President & CEO of 3D Systems Corp., presenting the first Keynote at “Inside 3D Printing” at the Javits Center, NYC, on 3 April 2014.

Ah, the Trade Show! THE commercial gathering-in for always-gregarious humans. The place where Homo Sapiens (“wise man”) transforms to Homo Negotium (“business man”). Latin “negotium” is also the root of English “negotiate.” And, you can only do that with another human.

The trade show is also the richest marketing environment on the planet. And, our New York City “puts on a [business] show” of note some 800 times a year. (Pace Mickey Rooney—”Hey, kids! Let’s put on a show…”—who died yesterday at 93.) In our City, you’re just a subway ride away from some kind of trade-show ecstasy—and business-success knowledge—on almost any day of the year.

Now, 3D Printing is “putting on a show”…to match its new and burgeoning presence in the consciousness of business people—and humans of every other stripe.

Well, you could hardly expect anything less from this (30-year-old) “overnight sensation.” Our 3D Printing is now touted by media, manufacturers and Masters of the (Old & New) Universe as transformative of…wait for it…almost everything.

Hod Lipson, Associate Professor, Cornell University, co-author of FABRICATED and the overall Master of Ceremonies at “Inside 3D Printing” at the Javits Center, NYC, on 3 April 2014.

New York online-media impresario and trade-show producer Mediabistro recognized what a commercial bonanza could be garnered from the seemingly inexhaustible interest in 3DP. (My neologism for Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing and Digital Fabrication.)

After staging I3DP NY ’13, Mediabistro has bolted around the world founding “Inside 3D Printing…”-branded events in at least 10 additional venues. From Santa Clara to Seoul, Melbourne to Milan, Shanghai to Sao Paulo—and nearly every compass-point city in-between. On the business-strategy theory that first with the most usually furthers…?

We’re still at the stage of public notoriety in which eyes invariably light-up and smiles of expectation greet the statement that you might be an insider at the wondrous 3DP Funhouse. (Because—like that carney institution—many people have now seen or heard of our 3DP-tech phenom, but few have actually gained access to the lightning-stroke excitement and the slightly sulfurous scent {melted ABS?} of magic behind the garishly painted facade.)

With business vision, budget and bodacious-ness, Mediabistro grabbed 3DP headliners and honchos to participate at I3DP NY ’14 at the Javits Center on 2, 3 and 4 April. That’s 56 speakers, 43 sessions, 37 exhibitors (three-times last year’s), attendees from 45 countries and 43 U.S. States—totaling a 4,000-plus gate.

I myself managed to take in 13 of the sessions, enjoyed most of the exhibits and exchanged business cards—and ideas—individually with forty + players and fellow attendees in two full days. (On the show floor, I concentrated on 3D Systems, the largest exhibitor-presence by far—and the banner/Platinum sponsor—as the company was last year. Hey, they had the most gee-whiz goodies to “show & tell.”)

Christine Furstoss, Technical Director of Manufacturing & Materials Technologies, GE Global Research, presenting her Keynote at “Inside 3D Printing” at the Javits Center, NYC, on 3 April 2014.

Granted this show’s stats can’t (yet!) compete with the mega-trade events that fill the entire Javits (e.g., National Retailer Federation’s “Big Show” or the NYC “Boat Show”). I3DP NY ’14 had a downstairs venue and a relatively small footprint. But, this industry is (3DP) fabricating Seven-League Boots… (The estimate for our 3DP sector is a market value of $2.5 billion in 2013 AND $16.2 billion in 2018: that’s 45.7 percent growth in just five years.)

I think the best way to sample I3DP NY ’14—and gain some high-level insights with grassroots’ impact—is via the show’s keynotes. Keeping up with the trend to “keynote” excessively, there were five in all over two days. Three—appropriately—were by industry heavy-weights known to most in the “insider” audience. These marquee players were:

1. Avi Reichental, President and CEO of 3D Systems;
2. Christine Furstoss, Technical Director of Manufacturing & Materials Technologies of GE Global Research; and
3. Carl Bass, President and CEO of Autodesk.

In this post, I’d like to spotlight the keynote of 3D Systems’ Avi Reichental. It has—I believe—the hands-on passion of a guy battling it out in the trenches of the 3DP business day-to-day. While, at the same time, garnering a view of the marketplace battlefield—and the larger commercial war—over the parapet of the action.

Avi’s 3D Systems—for the second year—more or less “owned” the show as THE Platinum Sponsor and dominant exhibitor. (Stratasys was a “sponsor” of the event but was otherwise nearly invisible and its sub Brooklyn-based MakerBot had no presence at all—last year both at least had booths.) So—mirabile dictu—Avi presented the first keynote.

Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot and the “poster boy” of desktop 3DP, may currently be the smartest marketer in our new industrial sector. BUT, I think Avi Reichental is the smartest business man in 3DP.  And, thus gets his full-length, oil-painting portrait—in the ornate gilt-on-gesso frame—high on the wall of the 3DP Hall of Fame.

Carl Bass, President & CEO of Autodesk, presenting his Keynote at “Inside 3D Printing” at the Javits Center, NYC, on 4 April 2014.

In his keynote, Avi started by waxing philosophical—appropriate for a man who has been in this new/old business for a long time.

He talked about the “meaning” of 3DP and the “passion for making.” He sees a kind of “pre-industrial cast” to 3D printing which is creating a “localized digital-craftsmanship renaissance.” 3DP is empowering people to exercise their “craftsmanship muscles” again. He emphatically states that 3DP is “meaningful, transformative and impactful.”

Mr. Reichental used the metaphor of a “connected digital thread,” that stretches from—and weaves together—”designing to making” and “the factory of the future, the engine of the future and the home of the future.”

In parallel with his take on meaning and making, Avi believes that 3DP is now about the “democratization” of manufacturing—with its inherent “advancing and democratizing” effects on commerce.

As a result, Avi Reichental sees 3DP as “a $30 billion opportunity over the next few years.” [Pretty bold forecast as 3DP industry value---depending on who you believe---is now around $2.5 to $3 billion! "Yowza"---as we say in Brooklyn...]

As opposed to the 3DP’s early years of rapid prototyping and reverse engineering usage, Avi foresees the technology morphing into a “mass manufacturing” engine, with “smart and multi-materials,” hitting the “sweet spot” of “making millions of identical parts with a flexibility that could NOT be done in any other way.”

3D Systems’ President and CEO Reichental projects that 3DP will thus “turn ‘economies of scale’ on its head.” The tech will deliver products at the “same price for one or millions” yet with “unlimited complexity.” AND, these same disrupting “capability is available to GE AND startups.”

Avi Reichental, President & CEO of 3D Systems, demo’ing rock-star 3DP-produced sunglasses, at his Keynote at “Inside 3D Printing” at the Javits Center, NYC, on 3 April 2014.

Avi played on his 3D Systems’ branding campaign of “all powered by 3DPRINTING 2.0″ by stating that his company’s production printers are now capable of “fab-grade [to semi-conductor standards] manufacturing.” Leading this charge is DDD’s capability in “direct-metal printing.” As he is wont to do via M&A (45+ acquisitions in the last two and a half years), Avi & Co. bought direct-metal leader, France-based Phenix Systems in July 2013.

Mr. Reichental also continued touching on 3DP-tech democratization effects—and what he called “re-localization” of production. He foresaw small-scale production bolstered by “continuous manufacturing systems [with output] in the tens of thousands.” He stated that pro-makers will be able to up-scale their businesses via the “success of high-speed, flexible manufacturing systems.” Makers will be able to think: “If I can design it, I can make it.”

Avi posited that the key was “how to distribute this re-localization.” What will be needed—according to Seer Reichental— is the “hybridization of [3DP] workflows with traditional workflows.”

To underline the granularity of relocalization—and what I’ve been calling the “eCottage Industry Revolution”—Avi asked “in what room in your house will your 3D printer reside?!” In other words, how many different uses will you have for the machine that can print almost anything?

Mr. Reichental has a reply for skeptics who will doubt his predictions. “Don’t be gripped by denial.” 3DP is “undeniably exponential.” Everyone “thinks you’re crazy until change catches up!”

And, Avi Reichental obviously thinks change is racing to confirm his projected 3DP future…

C’mon Back!

LAND