Remember the replicator in Star Trek? It was the device in the ship that a crew member asked to make something and it automagically appeared out of thin air by rearranging subatomic particles in to new things.
Here’s an interesting first step toward making that science fiction a reality that I came across today reading one of my favorite sites Gizmag. It’s a 3D printer that produces prototypes on demand from CAD drawings, etc. (Interesting video here) (WMV).
If you have time to go to Z Corp’s web site, make sure you peek at “Industries” and “Applications” for some very interesting and fun output that will give you a feel for what this technology does and can do. If you can think it up and create it on your computer or CAD workstation, you can manifest it into prototype atoms.
So how far are we away from ‘printers’ that can create finished goods? Imagine buying and downloading a CAD file, tweaking it and outputting it at a service bureau (though eventually this could be cheap enough for the home in some fashion). I don’t know how close it is to create finished goods…but they boast on their site about “From CAD drawing to metal cast mold — in hours.“
By the way, it sure appears that these guys could use some marketing. I love and look for this stuff and have never heard of them before.
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