Decades ago, Clarke and others described machines that can be programmed
to make anything. Modern robotic machine tools have this characteristic.
That is to say, they can take a block of steel or aluminum and cut it to
any specification, automatically selecting tools. I saw one at a company
that specializes in restoring classic cars. It is used to make parts
that are no longer available from the auto manufacturers.
Lately there has been a lot of talk in the mass media about machines
similar to ink drop printers that produce macroscopic three-dimensional
objects. These were first developed to make models, to help visualize
products. Then they were expanded and given stronger plastic materials
to make actual working prototypes, although of course the prototypes
have to be of products that can be made of plastic, which rules out
things like cookware or airplane engines. Lately, I have heard of a few
projects to manufacture finished consumer products with these machines,
and even houses with a gigantic version of one. The latter project is
being done by Behrokh Khoshnevis (USC Engineering).
A variety of names have been thought up recently to describe these
things, such as "3D printer" "fabricator (or fabber)" "rapid prototyping
machine" and so on. When we reach the point where one of these machines
can make a copy of itself, I think Clarke's name "replicator" will be
most accurate. Note that the still-fictional, full-scale "replicator"
includes components to analyze the composition of objects presented to
it, down to the molecular level, and then reproduce them.
Here is a website about open-source personal fabricators (fabbers):
http://fabathome.org <http://fabathome.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page>
And their Wiki:
http://fabathome.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
- Jed
