62 Comments
- BigCheezy, on 07/05/2008, -0/+28While the Digg title is the same as The Guardian's, it's still misleading. This machine cannot reproduce itself. It "makes hard copy in three dimensions out of plastic from models designed on a computer." Correct, so how does it reproduce metal parts, spring mechanisms, motors, servos, etc? Wow, buried as popular science ***** (aka misleading).
- nottidredd, on 07/03/2008, -0/+18Remember kids. "Only you can prevent gray goo. Never release nanobot assemblers without replication limiting code."
http://www.boingboing.net/Smoky_The_Nanobot.jpg - blastek, on 07/05/2008, -0/+18the future, pirating physical objects. knowing torrents there will be one "ALL CARS 1901-2008" or "EVERY CURRENCY KNOWN TO MAN"
- s0crates82, on 07/05/2008, -0/+12Dugg for Replicator v2.0.
Anxiously awaiting Replicator v10.0 that can make me Earl Grey. Hot. - TheMachine1, on 07/05/2008, -0/+11The same code is needed in people.
- TopherT, on 07/05/2008, -0/+11It is not a true Von Neumann machine, it can't recreate the electronics and cannot assemble the new machine, it requires a human at almost every point in the process.
- SemiSarcastic, on 07/05/2008, -1/+11"So what do you need?"
"Guns. Lots of guns..." - JettaMan, on 07/05/2008, -0/+6It doesn't truly reproduce, so it's kind of an overblown claim at the moment.
- ConfusedCartman, on 07/05/2008, -0/+5I see this becoming a household gadget in the next 50 years, just like the 2D printer became. Imagine buying something on the internet and then printing it out? Let's go one step further: imagine in 50 years being able to download a pirated blueprint of a product and printing it out, so you only have to pay for the materials required to build it? Can you imagine the impact that would have on the manufacturing industry? That ***** is bananas.
- wolfkeeper, on 07/05/2008, -0/+5It just reproduces itself... and eats people.
Why do you ask? ;-) - 5730, on 07/05/2008, -0/+5"For the moment it makes crude plastic knick-knacks (sandals, coat hooks, door handles and fly-swatters"
Am i the only one that thinks people who photocopy their ass will have fun with this? - Stketcher, on 07/05/2008, -0/+5Am I the only one that expected a video?
- snapcase, on 07/05/2008, -0/+4Burying this for the same reason that I buried the pcworld version of the article: http://digg.com/gadgets/Researchers_build_Robot_th ...
Misleading title. It does make certain parts used in its own design. But it can NOT replicate itself. Oh and also burying it for being a duplicate even if it is on a different site it's the same damn story. - dealdigger, on 07/05/2008, -1/+5Not exactly new and companies like 3D Systems http://www.3dsystems.com have been doing this sort of thing since the 80's. Hell you can even have 3D parts printed online:
http://quote.3dsystems.com or
http://www.printapart.com
Do a quick Google on "Rapid Prototyping" and you'll see what I mean. - champ2153, on 07/03/2008, -1/+5follow up from previous comment...
http://digg.com/hardware/The_3_D_printer_that_can_ ... - grimward, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3I'll join in the bury brigade this time around, this is inaccurate *****, INTERESTING inaccurate *****, but still.. *****! :D
- vinceislegend, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3::Puts on tinfoil hat::
- champ2153, on 07/03/2008, -6/+9Heard about this thing a few months back...it has the potential to reproduce things at an exponential rate. One day, it too will over-populate the Earth....
- ChileanGoD, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3Besides replicating itself, what else does it do?
- inactive, on 08/11/2008, -0/+3I believe they use similar machines to grow human tissue.
- aukxsona, on 07/05/2008, -0/+3more jobs!
- Denneval, on 07/04/2008, -1/+3http://www.instantrimshot.com/
- KirbyMeister, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2You wouldn't believe how many articles see his design goal (a machine that can build it's own parts) and write the headline as if it's already done and then explain that so far it can only manufacture SOME of it's parts
- HonoredMule, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2If they ever get a perfect, complete Von Neumann machine, they can start work on the coveted Rube Goldberg Von Neumann machine.
- KibibyteBrain, on 07/05/2008, -1/+3Not only that, but the current RepRaps are not very reliable or effective at that, so I wouldn't even say they are even true RepRaps yet. But its cool that people are actually working on this concept.
- Borgcube636, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2Oh my god Replicators are real. I knew watching Stargate was worthwhile!
- ZachSka87, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2I, for one, welcome our self-replicating robot overlords.
- dubkat, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2Coffee. Black.
- gadgetlust, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2The claim in the article is most certainly overblown, but the idea of putting this technology into the price range of the average hobbyist is really exciting. I''m not a big fan of the design of the machine covered in the article (a bit too complex without access to an already-built machine - hence the self replicating aspect) -- but there is another version based on Tom McWire's scratch-built 3 axis CNC machine - see http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-Desk ... that I built a version of over the last couple of months using some of the table patterns from http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/McWire_Cartesian_B ... .
Mine is currently not doing additive prototyping -- I went the CNC route (a dremel tool is used as the cutting head), but I could easily swap out the dremel for an extruder if I wanted to / had time to.
I seriously recommend checking these designs out -- it was a fantastically satisfying project when it all came together. - opticwind, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2I deem you...not a team player.
- crsdfr, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2The RepRap is an evolutionary project, it's designed to gradually become more capable as new versions of itself are developed, with higher tolerances, and wider ranges of materials.
I use SLS Machines daily at work for a living. I operate two Sinterstation 2500+'s capable of producing extremely robust, highly accurate, detailed models of any CAD you can throw at it. But the process is expensive, slow, and far too specialized to become a mainstream product that would allow the average person to make their own objects.
The RepRap (and other 3D printers like the ObJet and ZCorp) machines allow for far greater capabilities in prototyping than relatively 'old hat' technologies like SLS and even SLA. They are increasingly becoming cheaper and more capable, with the ability to print multiple material types in the same parts, achieving tolerances on par with established technologies and with far greater user operability.
The RepRap project may just be in its early stages, but it will be these efforts which will produce the technology to make 3D printing a reality for everyone with a computer. The possibilities will be huge. - bwdd, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2So it's a factory factory?
- dhughes, on 07/05/2008, -0/+2 I'd rather, 20 year-old female. Hot!
- scabbers, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Cartman: Hello, I'm with the cubic waste department. I need to check your lower tram for inhibitors
- opticwind, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Machines building machine? Now that's just...well it sounds like something out of a terrible sci-fi movie.
- nericus, on 07/05/2008, -1/+2I'd buy one, just to cheese off the local clergy.
- Rikushix, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1For the record, 3D printers have been around for quite a while. But they're used primary for architectural models and prototypes. It's the concept of a self-replicating machine that is so revolutionary.
- TheMachine1, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1There are some videos on youtube.
http://youtube.com/user/adrianbowyer - solid12345, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Can it replicate the Snorg Tees girl for me to take home?
- Fafnir43, on 07/05/2008, -1/+2I'm guessing you didn't RTFSummary... It's a 3D printer that works only in plastic, making fairly crude designs. It's not nanotechnology. It isn't even a self-replicator in any real sense of the word - the article is being overly sensational. (It can basically build its own housing - woo.) What it is is extremely cheap - $500 as opposed to tens of thousands. Don't get me wrong - it's a pretty major advance, it's probably a precursor to greater things, and it's pretty goddamned awesome that the inventor's going to release full blueprints for free (so people can build their own). But calling it a self-replicating machine right now is like calling an abacus a computer.
- ploink341, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Sarah Conner where are you, the electronic poop is about to hit the fan!
- Hurricane, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1Making 3D models of some plastic parts (inferior from original) hardly makes a machine capable of producing metal parts, springs, electronis, motor windings, and assembling such things, that would constitute reproducing itself.
burried for lameness and inaccuracy - jepizacar, on 08/04/2008, -0/+1nice resource....
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http://jeniya.info - sab0tage, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1I'd call it a good start, but hardly miraculous. A few people have pointed out that there have been rapid prototypers for a good while now, and of course that's true, but the main point is that the RepRap is an open system, and it only costs £250 for the parts, which puts it in hobbyist territory.
- Andyschism, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I suffer form dyslexia?
- peaceninja, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1do you mean Liu-bot, as in the Lucy Liu bot from Futurama?
- xptoast, on 07/05/2008, -0/+1I am glad the guy knows he should give it away for free and not end up in court forever. That is one smart guy. Oh and happy 4th to anyone here in America :)
- LingNoi, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1I agree that the RepRap has potential but right now it's crap. I'd rather buy an expensive 3d printer, least it is useful.
- linuxpwns207, on 07/05/2008, -0/+0who would have thought. an asexual desktop printer. lol.
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