At the Smart America Expo, Nainesh Rathod of the startup company Imagenestics was part of a team that demonstrated the potential impact of "Smart Shape Technology" on 3-D printing and local manufacturing hubs.

Using this system, you can take a picture of a part of a larger device with a mobile phone, and then either identify a local retailer where this part can be found or instantly print it at a local 3-D printing service provider.

The demonstration showed how Smart Shape Technology--using novel shape search, active label, smart hubs and 3-D printing technologies--can create local jobs and increase local skills.

Credit: NSF