Wanting to make sure that it doesn’t miss the trend of 3-D printed gifts and ornaments that is expected to occur during the Christmas season this year, the White House hosted its first-ever 3D-Printed Ornament Challenge.
“The holidays are a period of high commerce, which means this Christmas season could be the springboard for 3-D printing to enjoy a more lucrative 2015," said Changing Technologies Inc. CEO Omar T. Durham.Who knows? Trendy 3-D printed gifts found under 3-D printed trees might even become a new holiday tradition.”
In partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, the White House 3-D Printed Ornament Challenge invited makers, artists, designers and innovators of 3-D modeling and printing to design a winter holiday-inspired ornament – “We need your help to create the first 3D-printed ornaments that will deck the halls of the White House.”
Winning ornaments will be displayed at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and featured on 3d.si.edu, the Smithsonian’s state-of-the-art 3-D data platform, as well as added to a collection of White House ornaments in the political history division of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
“Once a technology that was incredibly expensive and used primarily for industrial applications, 3-D printers are now available for about the cost of a laptop, and in some cases even less,” wrote Stephanie Santoso on whitehouse.gov.
The 3D printing market is projected to reach $3.8 billion this year and is expected to grow 500% over the next 5 years.
