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Giant "Inkjet Printer"

mustrum_ridcully writes "For all you who don't like the cost of inkjet printers how about this printer that uses spray paint (courtesy of bbc news ). Ok it's not exactly what you'd call compact, but perfect for the lazy or wannabe graffiti artist." Having just finished doing a bunch of painting in my house, I'd like to have one of those machines drop down over my house, and paint via program - maybe I can use as GBA SP as the control device.

24 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Can it run linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Let's make a giant Tux with it!

  2. Uses by Beatbyte · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This would have instant cool uses for designs on bedspreads or sheets, custom car paint jobs, walls, etc. etc.

    Personally I would use it for when I'm building furniture (desks, tables, etc.) to give it a once over with some spray wood treatment or color.

    The article is kind of light on details of sales and such though. Looks more like a hack job. But hey maybe it'll be the first printer to have linux drivers FIRST! ;)

  3. Looks like... by splerdu · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A rehash of the plotter, only using spray paint instead of a pen.

    The artistic benefit of this new device may not be long lived if it does become commonplace, it would be like making paintings using a plotter.

  4. Plotter not printer by jarran · · Score: 4, Informative

    Looks more like a plotter than a printer. From the sound of the article it holds one can and traces a path with it, rather than sweeping across the "page" and marking dots at the appropriate point.

  5. Some Images are Instantly Familiar by notestein · · Score: 3, Funny
    Some Images are Instantly Familiar


    Who the hell is that?

    1. Re:Some Images are Instantly Familiar by littleghoti · · Score: 5, Informative

      Che Guevara (1928-67) Real name ERNESTO GUEVARA (1928-67), Latin American guerrilla leader and revolutionary theorist, who became a hero to the New Left radicals of the 1960s. Born into a middle-class family in Rosario, Argentina, Guevara received a medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 1953. Convinced that revolution was the only remedy for Latin America's social inequities, in 1954 he went to Mexico, where he joined exiled Cuban revolutionaries under Fidel Castro. In the late 1950s, he played an important role in Castro's guerrilla war against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, and when Castro came to power, he served as Cuba's minister of industry (1961-65). A strong opponent of U.S. influence in the Third World, he helped guide the Castro regime on its leftward and pro-Communist path. The author of two books on guerrilla warfare, Guevara advocated peasant-based revolutionary movements in the developing countries. He disappeared from Cuba in 1965, reappearing the following year as an insurgent leader in Bolivia. He was captured by the Bolivian army and shot near Vallegrande on Oct. 9, 1967.

    2. Re:Some Images are Instantly Familiar by G-funk · · Score: 4, Funny

      You're not supposed to know or care who he is, just buy things witrh his face on them from the dodgey eggs at the markets :)

      --
      Send lawyers, guns, and money!
    3. Re:Some Images are Instantly Familiar by BradleyUffner · · Score: 3, Funny

      Heh, I thought it was Elvis at first glance.

  6. This would be really sweet mounted on a car bumper by mikeophile · · Score: 3, Funny
    Two words, "Road Spam"

    Or, combine it with random movement printing, and you could paint the Mona Lisa in a parking lot while doing doughnuts.

  7. Robot? by watzinaneihm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The machine I think should be better described as a wall painting robot rather than a "wall printer".
    A similar thing would be to fit a spray can onto this wall climbing robot.
    Surprising that nobody has automated wall painting yet, then we wouldnt need to have these plain colored walls anymore. All of us could have our favorite frescos. Just get me a large res. image of the cistine chapel roof!!

    --
    .ACMD setaloiv siht gnidaeR
  8. Oh just great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    How long until Epson and HP start producing 20ml aerosols with chips in?

  9. Demolition Man. by Deathlizard · · Score: 3, Funny

    Did any one else think of the Scene in "Demolition Man" With the Graffiti robot when they first read this news item.

    Maybe they can shrink it down in a few years :)

  10. Site of Hector by Tege · · Score: 5, Informative

    At

    http://www.hektor.ch/

    you can watch a cool movie of Hector in action, aswell as some technical information.

  11. Take it to SF... by SkewlD00d · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... and paint a big-ass "IBM roolz, SCO drools" in blue on the sidewalk, street, buildings, and just about everywhere.

    --
    The biggest trick the devil pulled was letting lawyers become politicians so they can write the laws.
  12. Video of hektor in action by sanermind · · Score: 3, Informative

    is posted here. Hope someone mirrors/bittorents it.

    --

    ---
    the pen is mightier than the sword, the sword is mightier than the court, the court is mightier than the pen.
  13. Ink costs by danormsby · · Score: 3, Funny

    With Ink More Expensive Than Champagne printing a wall must cost thousands.

    --
    Omnis amans amens
  14. Excellent :) by killermal · · Score: 3, Funny

    Super size porno!

  15. bah - that think is puny!! by afxgrin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Check out STREET WRITER. It's a modified van that will spray paint entire messages on the street. :-)

    Now this is a giant ink jet printer.

  16. When you RTFA, remember to R T F A... by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 4, Informative

    The article is kind of light on details of sales and such though. Looks more like a hack job.

    I doubt that commercial uses were the designers' primary motives, given that the machine was the winning entry in an art contest. The clue was in the "light on details" article:

    "The machine has already won an award at the 2003 Machinista media art festival."

    Also, the article gives a strong indication that the designers don't seem to be commercial developers:

    "Researcher Jürg Lehni came up with the idea for Hektor when thinking about novel ways for an artist to turn computer-drawn images into something more concrete.

    He wanted to combine the precision of computer-generated images with the woolier outlines produced by spray paint.

    Working with friend and electronic engineering student Uli Franke, Mr Lehni created Hektor. The machine suspends a spray paint using two toothed belts that feed through a pair of motors."

    Again, the focus seems to be on art, not on commercial applications.

    Additionally, you seem to have missed the links to the Hektor, Machinista and the Zurich Kunsthaus gallery, where another Hektor-implemented piece of art can be found.

    Cunningly - some would say as cunningly as a fox, what used to be professor of cunning at OxfordUniversity, who is now head of the United Nations department of cunning planning* - these were hidden on the very same page, under the deceptive title "Related Internet Links".

    Is it me, or even when they RTFA do people forget to RTFA?

    (* You can't use the word cunning without quoting Blackadder.)

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  17. Re:This would be really sweet mounted on a car bum by jcwren · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I had considered that idea years ago, but never got around to actually building hardware. I'd planned on a paint tank (use that oldskool Tempra paint that washes off with water), a pressure source (like carbon dioxide), and a manifold feeding 128 electrically controlled nozzles. All this would be mounted on a frame that could be supported by a standard 2" bumper hitch (what is that, Class II? Class III?) The nozzles would be about 2" off the road, probably on some kind of floating arrangement. There'd be a small microcontroller with an RS-232 port, and a speed sensor.

    You'd lay out some text or imagess in a graphics program, get out on the highway, and lay down road graffitti. "SPEED TRAP AHEAD" spread down I-85N for 200 feet.

    I'm actually pretty surprised no one has built one yet. Although I'm sure the local laws have some idiotic provision against writing on highways with non-toxic temporary paint.

  18. Re:This would be really sweet mounted on a car bum by mr_luc · · Score: 3, Informative

    I can just see I-90 covered with official-looking signs proclaiming "IS YOUR WANG TOO SMALL? TRY OUR NEW MIRACLE DRUG!"

  19. overheard in SF subway by rifftide · · Score: 3, Funny

    "What do you mean, you didn't know about the header page?"

  20. Already been done, years ago, only for real by AlienRelics · · Score: 3, Informative

    Pixation came out with a -real- printer that can paint on walls, buildings, etc. using compressed air and any paint that you can put through an air paint sprayer. House paint, oil paint, anything.

    And it has been out for many years.

    http://www.pixation.com/

    Standard installation is 16 by 10 feet! It has 5 paint heads so you have black, white, cyan, magenta, and yellow. It is much cheaper than a wide format inkjet printer, and the ink costs -way- less than champagne!

    OK, my birthday is coming up, who's going to pass 'round the office and get me one? ;')

  21. More Printer News by PetoskeyGuy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    And if your really looking for printer news, the first printer ever designed has finally been built.

    Check out Charles Babbages printer on the same site as the other article. Hopefully THIS printer won't have to worry about the cost of refills.