CNC Homes

Behrokh Khoshnevis, a professor from the University of Southern California and CEO of ContourCrafting, recently presented a TED talk about how giant CNC machines could 3D print homes quickly, cost-effectively, and efficiently.  One of the most amazing implications of such a CNC system – extruding the infrastructure for a home – is that much of the most dangerous work involved in construction could be completely eliminated.

Just as with printing smaller plastic objects on a 3D printer, once you start using a CNC machine like a MakerBot to create an object – the complexity of the infrastructure becomes almost irrelevant.  While it might be much more work for humans to construct a circular, curvy, or angular building – such complexities are reduced to a mere toolpath when handed off to a giant printer.

Hat tip to Techpp.com for the link!

Do yourself a favor and check out this fantastic episode of Al Jazeera’s social-sourced web show ‘The Stream.’ Bre joins Maker Faire Africa Co-founder Emeka Okafor and host Derrick Ashong in a lively and inspiring discussion of all things #maker, #hacker, and #DIY – all in the time it takes The Replicator to build the Empire State Building. The panel explores how and why maker culture is shaping the future of industry, development, and humanity itself.

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Roger Yu explains the explosive growth of 3D printing among entrepreneurs and hobbyists in USA TODAY Tech.

Bonus: This awesome video interview with Bre Pettis from inside the Botcave!

"The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed." - William Gibson

How long ago was it that you first saw a pack of blank CD’s at your local drug store or super market? ¹ For me this was ten years ago.  I purchased my first CD burner in 1998 – but it wasn’t until about 2002 that I first saw a blank CD at the corner drug store.  Until that time I could only find blank CD’s online or at electronic component stores.  But, at some time between 1995, when I first saw a CD burner and 2002, when the media were available off just about any store shelf, the future, to paraphrase William Gibson, started to become evenly distributed.

I wonder how long it will be before I can find plastic filament in the supermarket? ²

1. Photo courtesy of indi.ca [↩]
2. Aisle 12, sir, between the greeting cards and stationary. [↩]

Desktop Equipment Tilt / Angle Foot by aaronkondziela

This Desktop Equipment Tilt / Angle Foot by aaronkondziela is one of my new favorite things on Thingiverse.  Here’s his explanation:

I needed something to tilt my desktop music synths up at an angle, so that I didn’t have to lean over them to see all the controls. Normally, I’d throw a chunk of wood under them, but I didn’t have any suitable pieces. This foot is the result.

Believe it or not, we now live in a world where it’s easier to design some custom footie-bits for your personal robot crank out than it is for you to go look for a chunk of wood on which to prop your equipment.

I mean, this is the kind of no-brainer Star Trek characters face.  “You want me to what?  Look for a piece of wood?  Are you kidding me?  Ugh – that seems like such a hassle.  Why don’t I just whip something up?  I mean, the machine is right there…”