3D printed house by ICON (Photo Credit: ICON)

3D printing has come a long way since Massachusetts Institute of Technology students Jim Bredt and Tim Anderson modified an inkjet printer to extrude a binding solution on to a bed of powder. The technology, which works by “printing,” or laying down, successive layers of material until the object is created, has been used to build a wide variety of things – from electronic devices to jewelry to artificial organs. Now, 3D printing is escalating to a whole new level with the creation of homes, art installations, and even barracks for the U.S. Marine Corps.