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Researchers Moot "Teleportation" Via Destructive 3D Printing

Posted by timothy on from the don't-tell-the-mpaa dept.

ErnieKey writes Researchers from German-based Hasso Plattner Institute have come up with a process that may make teleportation a reality — at least in some respects. Their 'Scotty' device utilizes destructive scanning, encryption, and 3D printing to destroy the original object so that only the received, new object exists in that form, pretty much 'teleporting' the object from point A to point B. Scotty is based on an off-the-shelf 3D printer modified with a 3-axis milling machine, camera, and microcontroller for encryption, using Raspberry Pi and Arduino technologies." This sounds like an interesting idea, but mostly as an art project illustrating the dangers of DRM. Can you think of an instance where you would actually want the capabilities this machine claims to offer?

8 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Useless Art Project by lbenes · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why was this posted? It's not good art and has no real life applications.

    1. Re:Useless Art Project by Threni · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The rites of spring by stravinsky has no "real life applications" other than the usual art stuff. You know, making life bearable in a pointless, hateful world where the best thing you can say about it is that you're going to die eventually, and beyond that everything in the universe is going to ultimately run out of energy and go dark and cold for ever and ever and ever. I mean, you're right; it would have been better had it improved the speed of an internet search or something practical like that, but sadly, no. Just pointless art.

  2. Could be useful in certain rare cases by c0d3g33k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can you think of an instance where you would actually want the capabilities this machine claims to offer?

    In situations where moving the original object physically to its destination is difficult or cost prohibitive, and there is no further need of the original at the source (maybe it only has utility at the destination). The most obvious case would be from Earth to space, either to a location in orbit, or eventually another planet.

    1. Re:Could be useful in certain rare cases by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In situations where moving the original object physically to its destination is difficult or cost prohibitive, and there is no further need of the original at the source (maybe it only has utility at the destination). The most obvious case would be from Earth to space, either to a location in orbit, or eventually another planet.

      I would think that a trash can next to the scanner would probably do this particular job just as well.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  3. Re:Yes by Lab+Rat+Jason · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It depresses me that it took this long for someone to come up with a sensible answer... I read the article and immediately thought of pump impellers, but everyone above here is still stuck on derezzing.

    --
    Which has more power: the hammer, or the anvil?
  4. this is why teleportation never made sense by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Insightful

    it's duplication

    which is great!

    but why destroy the original? just to call it teleportation? seems ridiculous

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  5. Re:Prototyping security? by LifesABeach · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My thought was, "what could possibly go wrong?" and then the idea formed, "the recieving maching broke half way through the process."

  6. shredder fax by millette · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is attaching a FAX to a paper shredder considered prior art?