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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."

6 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. That's where we differ. by Lostie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yesterday I fantasized about a generator of matter ... a device that will assemble any given object from its base, out of atoms.

    I also fantasized about a generator of matter, one that was able to generate Natalie Portman right in front of me complete with a handbag full of a strange gritty substance. Ooooh yeah.

  2. Had to be done... by matthew.thompson · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tea, Earl grey, Hot!

    --
    Matt Thompson - Actuality - Insert product here.
  3. Re:..which begs the question by I(rispee_I(reme · · Score: 5, Funny

    the first thing i'd fabricate would be another fabricator.

  4. Re:Wouldn't such a thing... by Viol8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1750 somewhere in northern england:

    Peasent 1: "These new fangled factories , they can be made to produce anything! They'll make our hand made goods valueless! They could even use it to build parts for other factories!"

    Peasent 2: "You're right Mr Ludd. Lets burn em all down!"

  5. or make art by dominux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://www.bathsheba.com To start building a model from my 3D file, the design is built up, one layer at a time, from steel powder held in place by a laser-activated binder. ... This produces a porous steel part that is about 60% dense. ... The model is heated, the stems are dipped in a crucible of molten bronze, and capillary action causes the bronze to wick throughout the piece. Counterintuitive to say the least, but apparently it works very well.

  6. Re:Wouldn't such a thing... by bitkari · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In a world of *magic fabricators* and the free flow of ideas, our traditional economy would be thrown in to chaos. A good chaos I suspect. Releasing the means of production to the people will be an incredibly amazing thing.

    The only problem is if these means are NOT released to the people, but controlled by companies. If we decend in to a world of DRM trousers, closed-source bicycles, patented turkey sandwiches, we are going to be an even more unhappy bunch of people.

    The development of these technologies makes the pursuit of open and free exchange of ideas ever more pressing.