When Worlds Collide, the 1951 Sci Fi film, painted a rather gloomy vision of the future of mankind on earth. However, the prospects for blended reality, in which the physical and digital worlds collide, couldn't be more promising. By fusing the virtual and real worlds, the possibilities are endless. By eliminating filters and limitations, blended reality enables expression at the speed of thought to improve experiences and inspire new technology. Using healthcare as an example, blended reality has significant implications for more personalized care, prevention and treatment by converging human biology, real-world context and technology advancements.

We are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution defined by the blending of our digital and physical worlds. At HP we call this Blended Reality, and we believe it will surpass the revolutions that came before in scale, scope and complexity. Connected factories, robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and 3D printing have the potential to disrupt and reinvent virtually every aspect of the $12 trillion manufacturing industry, unlocking unprecedented economic potential. We estimate 3D printing will expand at a 30% compound annual growth rate to an $18 billion industry in 2021, with plastics being the largest portion of the market accounting for an estimated $10.4 billion. Even at $18 billion, that is a small fraction of the $12 trillion manufacturing industry.