Robot Printer Brings Documents To Your Desk 64
mrspoonsi sends this news from the BBC:
Fuji Xerox has developed a new robotic printer that can move around a lounge or office to bring documents to the person who printed them. The printer is designed to be used primarily in public places as a way to keep sensitive documents secure. Sensors on the machine prevent it from bumping into people on the way. However, some analysts argued that the idea was not cost effective when compared with other secure printing methods. Fuji Xerox — a joint venture between the two firms — has been testing the printer this month at a business lounge in Tokyo. Each desk in the lounge is given a unique web address from which to print. Users access the address and upload documents to be printed. Once the printer receives the job, it moves to the intended recipient who then has to display a smart card to activate printing.
Better Idea (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Better Idea (Score:4, Insightful)
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But you can't then just leave the printed document in the tray. That's not secure. You need to have a shredding module attached so that after the email is sent the original can be destroyed.
Well, maybe, but neither the sender nor the recipient knows anything about the various other addresses that have received a copy of the document, plus information on the send/receive times.
It's not clear how any of this could be made secure to either party's satisfaction. If the printer can decode the document and make a legible copy, it can also forward the electronic version of that copy (and/or the decoding keys) to a third party.
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http://www.amazon.com/Burn-Before-Reading-Presidents-Intelligence/dp/0786886668 [amazon.com]
Better Idea (Score:1)
Why reinvent the wheel for people who barely need to walk? Seriously, this is a solution for a problem that was solved years ago.
If the browsers already have specific accounts on the printer, give each browser an access code to use to access their print cue at the printer and don't actually print the documents until the person is standing there to input the access code. I worked for a mortgage company for a few years and this is exactly how it was done there. (though not for security reasons, but because
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It works best if to "Scan" they are actually faxing it to a Fax-PDF number, to ensure the lowest of quality possible.
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Why not automatically scan the printed document and email it to the person?
Because, you fucking idiot, there would be point in doing that unless you could put it on a wooden table first.
Thank you folks, I'll be here all week ;-)
Re: Better Idea (Score:1)
I don't know why they haven't thought of that. A printer that e-mails the printed paper. But the whole point of this is to be secure so after the paper is scanned, it needs to be shredded. As long as the e-mail is secure. But the fundamental problem is when you are printing something, you usually have it as a file and you want a physical copy.
Old news.. Caterpillar had these in the early 80's (Score:3)
When I was in the fifth grade (1982), I visited the Caterpillar International headquarters' IT center in East Peoria. For some damfool reason, they had a robotic mail carrier that followed a trail of chemicals laid down into the carpeting to wander around the floor, carrying mail and such.
This was before email, I guess, but no, I don't know why they had it either. It was boss, though.
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I don't know about Caterpillars... (Score:2)
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You aren't being paid to 'stretch your legs'. Get back to work and be productive, slacker.
Seriously??? (Score:2)
People still print???? C'mon people, get over it!
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Most work environments still don't have e-devices available sufficiently to replace paper in all circumstances.
Mine does... "Printing" is considered a security hazard. We have more secured paper disposal bins than we have printers.
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Mine does... "Printing" is considered a security hazard. We have more secured paper disposal bins than we have printers.
Umm ok. So if you're doing so little printing, why do you need paper disposal bins?
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They do... mainly D&D rulebooks, but the boss see ink and paper getting used so... you know...
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in other news the OP has never lived in the real world nor had a real job
Something I can use (Score:3)
Give me something I can really use.
Like a mini fridge robot that brings me mountain dew so I dont have to walk 20 feet to the company break room.
Seriously people. Those engineers just aren't thinking outside the box.
great! (Score:3)
Even less movement possible in office environment. Soon there will be robots to deliver coffee and spoon-feed office workers...
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Even less movement possible in office environment. Soon there will be robots to deliver coffee and spoon-feed office workers...
So, what you're saying here, is that Wall-E was more prophecy than comedy...
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In my office I intentionally placed the printer out of reach from the desks, to force movement. It's not much movement, but even a few steps go a long way in preventing RSI and related issues.
So that's where "follow-you" printing is going. (Score:2)
Actually Slower than Walking to the Damn Thing (Score:3)
From TFS:
Once the printer receives the job, it moves to the intended recipient who then has to display a smart card to activate printing.
So, instead of:
- send my job to the printer
- walk all of 10 feet to pick it up,
I now have to:
- send the print job
- wait for the printer to finish with the last person
- wait for the printer to get to my desk from $deity-knows-where in the building (and it's a big fucking building)
- wave some card at the printer
- wait for the printer to finish and go away.
Talk about "technology for technology's sake." I've seen drunk frat boys invent more useful shit than this.
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We have to scan our smart card to print at my office.
Now, imagine having to scan it for each individual print, after waiting for the printer to finish with the previous user and make it's way to you. Rinse/repeat for every person on your floor.
Completing our transformation into formless blobs (Score:2)
This plus facetime (and the lunchcart robot) now completely eliminates the need to get any exercise whatsoever during the work day (except finger jumpingjacks and stretches on the keyboard, of course).
Was this invented by a cabal of cardiologists?
Fun with Printers (Score:2)
What I'd do with this thing is queue up several hundred copies of Goatse and have it follow me around, spewing Goatse across the entire building. This will accomplish two things:
1. Everyone will want to know where the hell the printer is, and come looking for it (and thus find Goatse).
2. I will finally get to hear someone say "Why is that man spewing Goatse everywhere?"
We could call it... (Score:1)
Here's a video of it in operation! (Score:2)
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Interns (Score:2)
Isn't that what interns are for? They are certainly, much lower cost than a robot printer.
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Other photocopier/printer robots (Score:2)
Two important rules when using photocopiers as robots.
Metalbeard: "Never place your read end on a pirate's face" [youtube.com]
Always use the proper paper. [youtube.com]
Narrow use case (Score:2)
I'm sure there are places with a valid need for this, but...
If you need to print confidential documents all the time, then you have a legitimate business case for your own printer (it's not like they're expensive).
If you don't have that need, getting up and walking to the printer is probably healthy for you.
There are already printers that will hold confidential material until you walk up to it and authenticate yourself.
And if there's a lot of issues around the security of what you're printing, maybe there's
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That can be a royal pain
Who is still printing? (Score:1)
How about a robot that prints, delivers your printed pages, then goes out and plants a tree to compensate for them.
To make sure those pesky humans get enough exercise, the robot can also deliver a watering can and instruct the human to water the tree.
HP already has this technology (Score:2)
its 2014 (Score:1)
Why are we still printing documents?
Great! (Score:3)
Another reason not to get off our fat asses!
Can this robotic thing actually be less costly than simply putting a $50 laser printer at each desk?
Wtf (Score:1)
Because standing up and walking is too hard?
Mad dash down the stairs (Score:1)
Our finance dept is on a different floor, and I say dept, but it used to be only several people, not all of which were always in the office. When they printed something sensitive, they'd immediately make a mad dash down the stairs to the printer room.
They have a printer on their floor now and they are happy, so yea, a robot is pretty overkill.
Printers are cheap (Score:3)
Is this really more cost effective than putting printers at each seat?