reprap
- Started
- Last post
- 4 Responses
- lvl_13
i know the subject of 3-d printing has been talked about before on here, but this could be truly remarkable:
http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/…
"A machine that builds itself? Adrian Bowyer, leading researcher at the University of Bath, shows us that this seemingly fantastic idea is not far from becoming reality. The self-replicating rapid prototyper, or “RepRap,” could have dramatic effects on people in developing countries."
video:
http://www.poptech.com/popcasts/…
- detritus0
You might also be interested in MIT's FabLab project, lvl_13..
http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
- detritus0
What's really remarkable about this avenue, is that commercial realisation is quite probably just around the corner - how will our consumer-worldview adapt to the possibility of having machines in our homes which can, effectively, build just about anything?
It's kind of like the transition from the population as information consumers to kids-in-bedrooms playing with DTP and graphics, to the internet, to myspace... except fundamentally more so.
- Corvo0
I understand the principle - which is quite brilliant. But what's the point of copying tubes and self-degrading plastic? You need them to do something, and the "something" is exactly what doesn't come cheap. Or am I missing the point (it's sunday after all..)?