Earlier this week, President Obama surprised a lot of people in the 3D printing community by namedropping the technology during his State of the Union Address as a way to spur innovation and manufacturing in the U.S. It was the first time the technology had been brought up on the national stage in such a positive light.

Here’s what the President said about 3D printers:

There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in Youngstown, Ohio. A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. There’s no reason this can’t happen in other towns. So tonight, I’m announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Departments of Defense and Energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs. And I ask this Congress to help create a network of fifteen of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is Made in America.

Before the President joined in the chorus praising 3D printers, Rodney Brooks spoke at Solve For X on the potential of 3D printers to revolutionize American manufacturing. He also touches upon how robotics will help decrease costs. Check out his talk below:

[h/t: 3ders]