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Envisioning the Desktop Fabricator

Posted by michael on from the just-slightly-ahead-of-its-time dept.

mkl writes "Yesterday I fantasized about a generator of matter. Not a laser plotter for carving 3d objects, but a device that will assemble any given object from its base, out of atoms. I was thinking about a device that can find its place under the roofs of all the people working on PCs all over the world. So I fantasize about it at work and what do I see in the Wired News newsletter? 'Any product, any shape, any size -- manufactured on your desktop! The future is the fabricator.' Heh."

4 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. Ch1x0rs!!!1! by RenHoek · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Am I too late with the "I'm fabricating a woman!" comment? :)

  2. A cup of Earl Grey, Hot. by phaln · · Score: 0, Redundant

    This would be one step closer to the Star Trek universe, no?

    --
    SNACKS ARE AWESOME
  3. This is the Nanoassembler by jimbro2k · · Score: 0, Redundant

    First described by Erik Drexler in 1986 ("Engines of Creation"). For those who have not been keeping up, check out www.foresight.org

    --
    There is not nearly enough love in the world, but there is far too much trust.
  4. Re:How about... by ralphclark · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The article I linked to was about how to implement a stable hard currency that cannot be counterfeited, in such an economy. The proposal uses artifically created isotopes of exotic high atomic number elements to label the coins, with face value nominally equal to the amount of energy it cost to produce those isotopes.