Keeping in tread with the spate of 3D printing here's a TED talk about printing homes to solve the housing issue across the WORLD!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdbJP8Gxqog&feature=youtu.be
I feel a revolution is coming!
Now how much are these 3D printers?
Beautiful idea, and I bet it will become common place some day. Still, it reminds my of a thought I have quite often, with the automation of nearly everything what are seven billion people going to do for a living?
Added: I see he addressed this a little.
Fantastic!
I can see why NASA are funding it. Combined with technologies for using planet surface material it could really work well. It is projects like that that bring the costs down to make it a benefit for people that really need it.
Quote from: littleman on August 06, 2012, 07:02:54 PM
Still, it reminds my of a thought I have quite often, with the automation of nearly everything what are seven billion people going to do for a living?
Probably telesales from a room they knocked up on the printer?
WOW, just watch one in action! http://www.makerbot.com/
Now I properly understand and want one even more!
That one is a baby. Look up the big full colour ones (zprinter 850 comes to mind). Also see what they do when combined with 3d scanners :)
one word - insane.
How long as this tech been available? Let me guess the military was using it first?
It's been around a while, slowly improving and developing. Actually there are a few different technologies under the 3D printing heading. The stuff we've played with uses plastics in powder form that are build up layer by layer. Mostly used for rapid prototyping.
What I find most amazing is how little people know about this. It has a real Wow factor that the industry seem to be totally failing to capitalise on. For instance I couldn't find a decent video on youtube of the big printers in action. It it were me I'd be setting up a 'doesitblend' type site and printing all sorts of lunacy to raise awareness. I really don't think the people selling these things realise how many markets they are ignoring.
Touchy point ;)
One of the guys from the 3d printing company that we've previously done with dropped in yesterday. He was here to see one of my guys, but i 'found my way in' to the conversation with these threads in mind.
Having totally derailed the planned meeting i got on mone a bit. Ended upbranting excitedly about viral video potential & how the tining is right to show off the high end stuff & get their name seen. Blank face.
I realise the problem though. Most of the industry come from machine tooling backgrounds. They have no idea that they have stumbled in to something cool. He described 3d printing as 'like watching paint dry'.
Now that you have a home, how about printing a boat? From milk cartons.
http://www.washington.edu/news/2012/07/20/engineering-students-race-first-3-d-printed-boat-in-milk-carton-derby/
I'll see your boat and raise you a car...
The Aston Martin in the latest Bond movie was actually a 3d printed replica.
A good short about it and other 3D topics at the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9770565.stm
That TED lecuture is pretty damn cool.
Read this in the Economist yday, which made some good points:
http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21567201-difference-engine-just-computers-make-it-easy-copy-music-3d-printers-will