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Dreambox: the World's First 3D Printing Vending Machine
coolnumbr12 writes "Frustrated by the lack of access to 3D printers at their school, three recent graduates from UC Berkeley have installed Dreambox, the world's first '3D printing vending machine,' on their campus. Dreambox gives everyone access to the 3D printer for a small fee, allowing them to print objects from their own designs or from an online store. The creators hope that it will help democratize 3D printing and help more people realize the technology's potential."
This is as much a vending machine as the printers at the repro desk are.
I'd be fine with calling it this, if the newsworthyness wasn't solely based on the alledged 'vending machine'-ness.
Which since it is not in the same market no one will confuse.
Name reuse is fine if it does not lead to confusion.
You're crazy. How often does the average person have a true need for a 3d printed object? Rarely, I would say. So the while the cost isn't in and of itself an issue, the benefit to owning a printer is low. Why shouldn't staples, kinkos, and others just allow you to print your object on a one off basis? If there is money to be made, that's where it is.
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
Is it a 3D printing vending machine?
Having the same name in an entirely different market segment means you can freely have the same name. Trademarks and the like only apply in the area of business, not every company in the world who could possibly use that name.
So, there is no issue here.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Agree totally.
Over the years I've found that the cost of the consumables for any form of color or photo printing just isn't worth it. You can get someone to print you those things incredibly cheap these days.
I still have a laser printer/scanner/photocopier combo that I use for some stuff. But for anything else, it's cheaper to just get it printed for a relatively tiny cost.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Jeez give it a rest, there are people on this planet who'd do anything to live in our democracy and you cheapen the word with your trinket dispenser.
No one is cheapening the word -- it's its usage in this form predates your absurdist politically correct world view.
Google, tell us what "democratizing" means.
the growth in cynicism and rebellion has not been without cause
Someone starts printing out controversial things.
- Sex toys.
- Weapons.
- Copyrighted stuff (like Mickey Mouses)
x all of the above.....
As long this stays small it will stay under the radar. But if the scale is increased there will be more rules about this.
You're crazy. How often does the average person have a true need for a 3d printed object? Rarely, I would say. So the while the cost isn't in and of itself an issue, the benefit to owning a printer is low.
Haven't you been paying attention? Everyone needs one so they can print their own "gunz". How are you supposed to defend yourself against the Jones? What do you think is going to happen when your neighbors have an arsenal and you don't? They will come and take your shit, burn your wife and rape your pets. Do you have any idea of the emotional trauma your children will go through at school? How's little Johnny going to feel eating lunch from a brown paper bag every day when all of his friends have the latest daily fad lunchbox? Or poor Suzy with the same lame ass book bag she had last week? We must think of the children. It should be obvious that lack of a 3D printer is the single biggest threat to the American way of life since; well nothing. There's never been a bigger threat to our existence.
If you extend the definition of 3d printer a little bit, it goes farther than that.
My wisdom teeth (that i still have because I lost a lot of other teeth in a failed surgery) were repaired/rebuilt using a mix of CAD 3d cameras and software along with a porcelaine "3d printer". The dentist takes pictures of the teeth, use a CAD software to design the filling, then push a button, wait 10 minutes, and end up with a perfect fitting piece to repair the tooth that is generally better than a crown would have been in every ways.
There's that story of some people using 3d printing to make a piece to save their kid's lungs.
Sure, its not the same stuff people will be making at home with a personal 3d printer, but the technology is similar. Its probably a matter of time before you can 3d print a screw that you lost while trying to assemble an IKEA desk, or 3d print an extra fork because you ran out for an event...
They just need to be faster and be able to use more durable materials. Home matrix printers used to be slow/inaccurate/noisy/expensive as hell too... Just give it time.