LOS ANGELES — 3D printing is taking the world by storm, and that storm is getting wetter, as 3D tech is finding its way into the bedroom.
According to 3DPrinting.com, 3D printing or “additive manufacturing,” is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file by using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created, with each layer seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the object under construction.
Just like the way a standard computer printer prints out a two-dimensional sheet of paper from a file containing text and/or images, 3D printers “print out” three-dimensional objects — and it was only a matter of time until 3D printing, like all other technologies, was turned into a sexual aid.
The new world of 3D printed sex toys and erotic art made recent headlines when a 42-year-old Japanese woman, Megumi Igarashi, was arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan Police, for selling and distributing digital 3D printable design files of her own vagina.
It was an event that threw a spotlight on this growing confluence of sex and technology, which is now just entering its infancy.
Just as with 3D printing technology, the 3D printed sex toy industry is bound to grow — with technology evolving to fill the needs of customers. French web designer Thomas Sancelot realized that sex toys are something that people will want to print in 3D, and so as a result, he launched SexShop3D.com.
According to online sex shop, SexShop3D.com, 3D printing technology can transform our lives in many different ways — including in the bedroom.
The company provides 3D designs to its customers, enabling them to print their own sex toys from the privacy of their own home, using a 3D printer. Customers simply choose the sex toy they would like to experience, download the file, and then 3D print it to enjoy their purchase.
“You see it every week in the news: a house was 3D printed or a plane flew with pieces coming out of a 3D printer,” explains a company spokesperson. “This new technology is advancing so quickly it is already entering our lives, and is about to enter our homes as the cost of 3D printers is falling all the time.”
“Download your design and print your sex toy the way you want,” the spokesperson adds, saying that “It’s that easy.”
The current generation of 3D printers includes sub-$1,000 units suitable for home use, as well as more robust units in the $3,000 range, making the technology “affordable” to a wide range of users, with the future prospects of far greater performance at much more reasonable prices, as 3D printing becomes a more mainstream endeavor.
“What is great with this technology is that you can customize your sex toy by scaling the design up or down [and] print it in the material and color you want,” the spokesperson explains. “And last but not least, the embarrassment that sex toy enthusiasts had to endure is no longer an issue when you can print your sex toys privately from home.”
Increased privacy, customization potential and the growing accessibility of 3D printing by home users will fuel the future of digitally downloaded sex toys — as long as the designers are able to control piracy of their products.
For more information, visit www.sexshop3d.com.