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Amazon Files Patent For Mobile 3D Printing Delivery Trucks

Posted by Soulskill on from the get-your-almost-functional-lego-replica-in-30-minutes-or-it's-free dept.

ErnieKey writes: Amazon has been inching its way into the 3D printing space over the past 10 months or so. This week, however, the U.S. Patent office published a filing by Amazon for mobile 3D printing delivery trucks. The trucks would have 3D printers and CNC machines on board and be able to communicate with a central hub. When a product is ordered, the mobile 3D printing truck that's closest to the consumer's home or office would then get the order, print it, and deliver it as soon as possible.

2 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. What's the market here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I really don't get it. With all the 3D hype, I've never seen anyone in the street or personally talk about or have a 3D printed object.

    What are people doing that it requires such a massive infrastructure?

    Last I heard, it was only Luddites that had factories or delivery trucks, we were going to 3D print everything at home, including the home itself?

  2. Why Mobile? by jythie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I am not really understanding what the point of making the fabrication itself mobile, other than not having to pay rent on dedicated facilities. They would still have to have some kind of depot for the raw materials, so why have all the extra weight of driving around the equipment? Esp since you could not print while driving since that would really screw up the accuracy.