A 3D Printer On Every Desktop? 426
holy_calamity writes "Two Cornell researchers have designed an open source 3D printer that costs just $2,400. The self-assembly kit is part of what they call the Fab@Home project — they hope it will spark development of rapid prototyping for the consumer market in the same way the Altair 8800 did for personal computing in seventies." Here is a video showing a completed machine constructing a silicone bulb (16-MB WMV).
Update: 01/10 04:02 GMT by KD : The developers of this kit are at Cornell, not Carnegie Mellon University as the original post erroneously stated.
Update: 01/10 04:02 GMT by KD : The developers of this kit are at Cornell, not Carnegie Mellon University as the original post erroneously stated.
hmmmmm (Score:5, Funny)
I just circled my desk, and it looks like the HP Laserjet I already have exists in 3 Dimensions. Surely this means HP has beaten this other company to market.
I wonder (Score:5, Funny)
Given the ungodly expense of regular inkjet cartridges [gizmodo.com], I can only wonder how much the refills for this thing will run.
Ink more expensive than gold? (Score:2, Funny)
Linking a 16 MB vid from the /. frontpage... (Score:5, Funny)
Suddenly... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The uses are endless (Score:3, Funny)
C'mon! Silicon, 3D... We all know what we are going to print first!
Re:Where's the porn angle? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Where's the porn angle? (Score:3, Funny)
I think you are better off investing the $2500 in hookers.
With that kind of money, even I could get laid.
Tea, earl grey, hot! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The uses are endless (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Buck would be proud (Score:3, Funny)
Ok, but you'll need a . .
KFG
Re:Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Capitalism will end when I can print a blow job.
Re:hmmmmm (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Boobstrapping? (Score:2, Funny)
No problem (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The uses are endless (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No problem (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The uses are endless (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Can't say much more than (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Can't say much more than (Score:5, Funny)
> fab("Earl Grey, Hot");
Lemme guess - you got a liquid that was almost, but not quite entirely unlike tea.
Re:IP Issues to Hit Action Figure Market (Score:4, Funny)
Re:The uses are endless (Score:3, Funny)
You bent my wookie!
Re:Can't say much more than (Score:4, Funny)
Easy... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:hmmmmm (Score:5, Funny)
Re:hmmmmm (Score:1, Funny)
well, transistors aren't doable yet... (Score:3, Funny)
I put together a team to do this a generation ago, using a BBS for collaboration and the first decent Mac schematic design package for software, though we were stuck with wirewrap for prototyping... but it makes a big difference even in wirewrap to have a machine-generated net list.
There are lots of companies that can take PCB artwork generated by various schematic design packages (usually Gerber format artwork) and will turn them into PCBs with an overnight turnaround if you're willing to pay for it. This is preferable because you can get them with solder masks. The price of schematic design packages have dropped quite a bit to... several in the sub-$100 range, and there are even free and/or Open Source Linux projects for this. (google is your friend)
It costs, but if your hourly rate is a positive number, one can consider them cheaper than wirewrap for any circuit of even moderate complexity.
I'd recommend for hobbyist-level projects that one accepts the size/weight penalties and use leaded through-hole components. . . otherwise, have fun and good luck dealing with soldering surface mount.