While primarily a novelty among the tech-obsessed, 3-D printing been used successfully for a variety of tasks, from making jewelry or medical supplies to larger projects in industrial design and engineering.

CNN: Obama's speech highlights rise of 3-D printing

Squeezed in the TV and smart phone market by Samsung, LG, Apple and others, Panasonic, Sharp, Toyota and others are trying to adapt their expertise in precision engineering and industrial design to everyday objects.

FORBES: Toyota's Single-Seater Electric Car You Can Park In Your Kitchen

Blu licenses an industrial-grade engineering software system called CATIA used by Boeing to design airliners, Virgin Galactic to build its suborbital space ship and automakers to create cars.

FORBES: Blu Homes' Apple Approach to Building Green Prefab Houses

Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 29 product categories.

ENGADGET: Polaroid announces 7-inch kids tablet sporting Android 4.0, looks to show it off at CES

Products entered in the CES Innovations program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers, and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 29 categories.

ENGADGET: Samsung bringing 85-inch ultra high definition TV to CES HD

In 2005 we started working together on a joint master thesis in industrial design after four and a half years studying at LTH, the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University in Sweden.

FORBES: An Airbag For Your Head - The Invisible Bike Helmet