There isn’t any domain of our life or society that is untouched or unaltered by the technological developments. Every single thing has been revolutionized by the fast-growing technology. From our communication network to the food we eat, our life has been transformed and is driven by technological means. Speaking of technological advancements, the trendiest one is 3D printing. The term 3D refers to three-dimensional, i.e. it is something that has width, length, and height, to make it simpler our physical surrounding is 3D. 3D printing is done with the help of a specially designed 3D printer. The increasing demand for 3D printing has helped 3D printing companies to flourish their businesses on a larger scale.
The technology of 3D printing has eased a lot of procedures that were difficult to carry out with the traditional methods. It has been advantageous for various educational and social purposes. For instance, it helps replicate our body organs thus, making it easier for medical students to study them. Likewise, it has a great impact on urban farming. Keeping in mind the less green spaces in tightly-packed urban houses, 3D printing unable us to create a habitat for growing vegetables and herbs. Among the multiple benefits 3D printing has brought along, here are five major ones that have affected urban farming:
- Farmshelf:
It is a Brooklyn based company that has introduced this technology which aims to make indoor gardening an easy and fun process. It is the system that allows everyone to grow their fresh food which is healthier than the one available in markets. 3D printing technology allows us to print units of farm shelves such as vents, plant pods, plant hangings, and airflows. Moreover, it allows us to customize these parts by testing their functionalities. It does not only facilitate indoor gardening, but it also fastens the growth cycle of plants.
- Creating Tools:
3D printing technology enables a farmer to manufacture tools. They can get a customized tool as per their needs in a shorter span of time. This does not only increase their productivity, but it also provides them with quality tools which in turn helps improve their farming activities. This printing tool strategy is usually practiced in Myanmar and African countries where farmers have limited access to farming equipment. Therefore, prototyping the tools through 3D printing is easily accessible to them.
- Cube Gardens:
Somestartups are working on creating cube gardens. It comprises only three major parts a 3D printed lid with a basket, a 3D printed pot and a micro bubbler that is available on any hardware store. This cube garden is space-friendly. In addition, it is portable.
- Production and Prototyping:
The 3D printing technique is beneficial for both prototyping and production. It helps the users to print porotype the tools they want for farming and other than that it helps them to produce knew that would meet their needs. It is of great advantage for prototyping the parts of tools that we already have.
- Printing Food:
Just when we thought printing food was a mere dream, 3D printing made it come true. it is likely to say that printing food is the future of 3D printing. There are many start-ups that are working on replicating the texture of meat. they are trying to tackle the industrial meat farming. The printer takes in fat, three different plant proteins, and water to imitate the texture and taste of meat. this will also help generate meat as per the individual’s medical needs.
Technology through the course of time has enabled us to fit into the changing environment and requirements of our planet. The urbanization has resulted in the annihilation of the natural habitat of fresh food like plants and vegetables. Therefore, 3D printing technology has rescued us to some extent and has given a new dimension to farming. Being cost-effective and less time consuming it is gaining popularity specifically in urban regions. Where industrialization and automobiles have destroyed the natural environment of the cities, there technologies like these are trying to save the face of the earth and are working for modifying the well-being of mankind. It would not be an exaggeration to say that 3D printing is the savior of humanity and is playing a major part in restoring the concept of home farming.
