Gadgetory

one of the most interesting emerging tech products is the 3d printer a machine that can construct physical objects using layers of plastic sounds cool but what exactly are people printing out with these things Donal Bell and this top five I'm counting down some of the most popular 3d printing projects provided to me from the fine people at thingiverse.com and ranked using a combination of likes collections and downloads starting off at number five the SMAP together mini lamp designed by MakerBot industries they probably can't legally call it the Pixar lamp but I'm going to there's some assembly required you'll need to source a pair of Springs and you'll have to provide your own electrical lamp socket if you want this thing to function but it's a great example of how 3d printers can create complex useful objects number four gets even more useful an adjustable wrench now I know what you're thinking you already have a wrench and it's made out of metal not plastic but here's what's cool about this the wrench and the adjustment dial work right out of the printer no assembly required this idea that objects can be printed with hinges and gears and moving parts all in place is a critical concept if everyday keep our going to be putting these things in their homes at number three cellular lamp by nervous system who said that 3d printing has to always be practical you can also make beautiful organic sculptures use as an LED lamp or as a bracelet or is just something pretty to put on your bookshelf the best part is it'll look cool even if the printer is a little sloppy on the other end of the spectrum at number two a fully functional automatic transmission you'll need to assemble this one gear by gear but that's actually part of the fun if I had a 3d printer in my home I have no doubt that this would be the first thing my son would ask me to make you get six different gears plus a gear for reverse and a hand crank now before we get to number one let me take a minute to acknowledge the 3d printed projects that almost made the list at number six the open-source action figure by Jason Welsh it's more like one of those articulated art mannequins except this one can be customized and scaled up or down using software make yourself a new friend and feel God all right and now the most popular and beloved 3d printed project on Thingiverse an elephant designed by l'a fab shop this adorable elephant toy has more to it than meets the eye like the wrench this is an all-in-one print with moving parts no assembly required the legs move the trunk bends and it's artistic enough to put on a shelf or gives a gift so there you go five of the most popular 3d printing projects plus a bonus a huge thanks to the good people at Thingiverse for providing this list and to all the makers out there for sharing these designs more top 5 videos visit top-5 cnet.com on donald bell thanks for watching