Imagine having a machine for $500 in your living room that can take your computer based specification for a 3D object and print out a plastic replica of the object in a matter of minutes. Imagine furthermore that all of the specifications for the machine are completely open source, completely shareable and modifiable by anyone in the world, and that there is a worldwide community of volunteers working feverishly to support you and anyone else to troubleshoot and improve the machine. Imagine no longer…this machine, called a Reprap, is reality! Best of all, these machines are ultimately designed to self replicate themselves, bringing us within tantalizing reach of a long envisioned era of self replicating machines.
Above: The Reprap Machine Connected To A Computer With A 3D Specification
The Reprap machine works like this: Reprap consists of a roughly cubical half-meter frame enclosing its fabrication workspace, motors, electronic circuitry and an extruder. The extruder is a device that can squirt out complex three-dimensional patterns of molten plastic filaments that will ultimately solidify into the shape of your 3D object. Software on a PC takes design files produced by 3-D drawing programs and turns them into instructions that are sent to the Reprap over a USB connection.
This is really about as good as it gets if you are a geek. Its like having a mini factory in your own home. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on one of these little miracles. So what can you make with a Reprap machine anyway?
The only limits seem to be your imagination and the physical limitations of the material, currently plastic, that is used to manufacture your object. Repraps have been used to make coat hooks, water-filter inserts, sandals, door handles, fly swatters, martini glasses, and countless other objects. See some examples below:
It all began with Dr Adrian Bowyer, a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, who founded and invented RepRap in 2004. Reprap was launched as a project to build an open source (ie. GPL), low cost, 3D printer capable of printing objects of any specification, including a specification for printing itself. Since the launch of the Reprap nearly 5 years ago, the project has absolutely exploded with volunteers, prototypes, and a worldwide fanbase that is ever growing and changing.
Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager at Google Inc. , quoted on the Reprap website, sums it all up with this little gem:
“Think of RepRap as a China on your desktop”.
Although the current Reprap is only capable of using plastic as its building material, upcoming versions will be able to use a host of different materials, opening the door to a greatly expanded world of 3D printing.
The ultimate goal of the Reprap is for it to be able to self replicate a true working replica of itself. In this regard the Reprap is making steady progress. From the Reprap website:
Not counting nuts and bolts RepRap can make 60% of its parts; the other parts are designed to be cheaply available everywhere. To increase that 60%, the next version of RepRap will be able to make its own electric circuitry – a technology we have already proved experimentally - though not its electronic chips. After that we’ll look to doing transistors with it, and so on…
Even as Adrian Bowyer’s Reprap project continues to flourish, a dynamic community of volunteers, organizations and companies have begun to sprout up around it. Of special note is the Reprap Research Foundation (RRRF), of which Bowyer is a director. The RRRF is the not for profit arm of the Reprap movement tasked with upholding the following mission:
To promote research in self-replicating manufacturing systems and to distribute the results of that research freely to everybody using open-source licensing.
On the commercial side of things, check out an exciting new company, Makerbot Industries, who counts as one of its founders Zack Hoeken, a director at the RRRF and a major player on the Reprap scene. Makerbot Industries offers a limited but expanding suite of tools, gadgets, and consulting that will empower a growing legion of enthusiasts to make the most of their Reprap experience. Check out this video of the Makerbot team:
Still haven’t seen enough? Check out the following more detailed video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfnLtbhxsY4
Don’t feel like hacking all this equipment yourself? Remember there are companies like Shapeways will mail you within days a 3D printout of specifications that you upload to their website.
Tags: 3d printing, makerbot, reprap, self replicating
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This 3-D printing sounds really cool. This reminds me of scientist in Japan working on organ printing: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHTiWtHB500OywDpPlLpr_gKfgiA
Way cool. I have been following repraps for a few years now, and see it as a percursor to molecular manufacturing – a highly disruptive technology to transfer economics based on scarcity to economics based on surplus. Exciting times we live in.
But can it make me a Ham Sandwich?
Try putting ham into it instead of plastic and see what happens
Until ReWrap is able to faithfully re-produce gorgeous women its’ usefulness is limited, as this is the Holy Grail of Reproduction. BTW, this video is also of limited appeal, wasting most of its’ footage on these 3 Ugly Clods, instead of close-ups of the machine. An Ugly George tip: even Science needs Sex Appeal!
[...] 3D Printing and Self Replicating Machines In Your Living Room – Seriously! | Singularity Hub (3D.Pri… [...]
[...] 11, 2009 The Singularity Hub has a good overview of RepRap machines — open source and (almost) self-replicating 3D printers: Imagine having a machine for $500 in [...]
[...] How it works: software on a PC takes design files produced by 3-D drawing programs and turns them into instructions that are sent to the Reprap over a USB connection. (Source: http://singularityhub.com/2009/04/09/3d-printing-and-self-replicating-machines-in-your-living-room-s...) [...]
[...] Source/article: Singularity Hub [...]
“extrude me a Ham Sandwich.”
“No.”
“Sudo -Make me a Sandwich.”
“Ok.”
[...] for a thing, then that thing essentially becomes information. All we need is the appropriate manufacturing technologies to reconstruct that thing in physical reality. According to Kurzweil, will be able to do this with [...]
[...] 3D Printing and Self Replicating Machines In Your Living Room – Seriously! (singularityhub.com) Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Architetural Technologist – Vectorworks updateCableLabs investigating possible 3D delivery standards [...]
I wold like to see more focus in building things from the nano level up. Imagine being able to type in martini and have the class and the martini drink appear….
We are finally coming closer to 3d printing for everyone. The other side of the story is software. Google SketchUp is helping us change that. We are currently 3d printing models from 3ds files outputed by SketchUp, specifically for architecture. Currently our models have to be “designed for 3d print” where surfaces have to be closed off etc. in order to get clean 3d models. Not to mention intense post processing in some expensive programs to even be print ready. It feels a bit like Photoshop back in the 90’s. You can see some of our projects at 3dventures.com
[...] beating cardiac cells, and could soon produce organs that are viable for transplant. But unlike other 3D printers, I wouldn’t want this one in my living [...]
[...] beating cardiac cells, and could soon produce organs that are viable for transplant. But unlike other 3D printers, I wouldn’t want this one in my living [...]
[...] As Singularity Hub discussed a few months ago with Reprap, 3D printing is expanding its horizons. It’s moving into your home and, with stainless steel printing, it might just become self-replicating. Metal, with all its conductive goodness, is essential if your going to print machines that could print other machines. Once that happens, manufacturing and production will change forever. In the meantime, I’m going to jump on the Shapeways website. There’s this Klein bottle I’ve been thinking about… [...]
[...] been impressed with Makerbot since we started covering desktop 3D printers. Their Cupcake CNC, the first printer design, is fairly robust and is able to produce almost any [...]
[...] been impressed with Makerbot since we started covering desktop 3D printers. Their Cupcake CNC, the first printer design, is fairly robust and is able to produce almost any [...]
[...] 3D Printing and Self Replicating Machines In Your Living Room – Seriously! (singularityhub.com) [...]
[...] information Singularity Hub, RepRap Website [...]
[...] Source/article: Singularity Hub [...]
[...] lasers and makes it into a fully workable CAD assembly right on the computer screen. We’ve seen 3D printers and Claytronics here on the Hub but, with the NextEngine now on sale, reverse engineering will [...]
[...] however, begin when you consider self replicating machines. Working alongside other teams, such as RepRap, MakerBot is helping edge their way closer to creating a machine that can build other machines. [...]
[...] we’ve discussed before, RepRap isn’t the only open source 3D printer, and it’s not even the only 3D printing team we admire. But, worldwide, RepRap might be the [...]
I’ve been following RepRap, Makerbot, Fab@home, candyfab etc. but haven’t seen any systems design in them to combine multiple materials, assembly, additive and subtractive fabrication so I’ve come up with this: http://www.cubespawn.com
feedback appreciated,
James