Amazon Files Patent For Mobile 3D Printing Delivery Trucks

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday February 25, 2015 @04:45AM 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.

1 of 101 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Why Mobile? by jythie · 2015-02-25 04:54 · 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.