As 3D printing goes mainstream, a few companies are already embracing the technology to make their products customized and more practical for the customer.

Protos is an eyeware startup that is based in San Francisco. The company is embracing 3D printing and facial recognition software to allow customers to simplify the process of purchasing eyeglasses. Customers can go online and take front and side view pictures of themselves. Customers can suggest styles that they like and select a style that compliments their facial features. Protos takes standard designs adjusted to a customer’s facial features and prints the design in a soft plastic material to create the frames. This process makes customized glasses frames affordable and accessible.

Walt Disney is embracing this technology through their “D-Tech Me” experience. Guests of Disney can fulfill their dream of becoming a princess by purchasing a custom Disney Princess doll with their features on it, including hair, skin color, eye color, and face. Using 3D face scanners, multiple angles of the customer’s face are captured. It is then reconstructed in a computer for processing, and a princess is made. If larger companies like Disney start adopting 3D printers, 3D printing will reach a larger population of users. According to this source, “the tech being used by Disney isn’t anything groundbreaking, but the real innovation is how Disney is using the technology, by bringing the process to the over 17 million visitors to Disney World every year. Those kids and their parents, who have not heard about 3D printing could experience and see the technology for the first time.” Check out this video to see the process.