The Era of Absolutely Fabulous Manufacturing Is Coming

For decades, futurists and science fiction writers have dreamed of an era of small-scale, on-demand manufacturing that would permit us to move from digital design to finished products in a matter of minutes. Now that dream is becoming a reality. What are the implications? We’ll explain.

Only 30 years ago, it seemed inconceivable that most American households would have their own computers. In 1977, DEC’s president, Ken Olsen, notoriously proclaimed, “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer .....