What would you make

So, if you had a RepRap, capable of extruding plastic, circuitry, and things with the consistency of icing, what would you make with it?

Utilitarian Items

• A shotglass with RepRap written on it.
• A set of RepRap cutlery
• A RepRap paperweight/executive toy for unemployed executives
• Unusual cookie cutters
• A wind instrument

Power Generation

• A small windmill
• A small waterwheel
• Silicon crystal grower (for making cheap/low efficiency solar cells)
• Methanol fuel cells
• Methanol producer
• Cooking gas generator and reservoir
• A solar water heater

Goods For The Needy

• A water purifier
• Hydroponics components
• Framework for solar reflector
• Drug manufacturing and purification systems
• Automated PCR unit. Perhaps a continuation of the impressive work by Eva Harris. Also some automated mechanism (equivalent to electrophoresis) to visualise the DNA in order to identify disease pathogens, etc. Perhaps automated classification of pathogens.
• Bio-diesel converter (from seed right through to bio-diesel)
• Agricultural tools for smallholders
• Soil/water nutrient measurement device.
• Refrigerator/freezer/heat pump
• Automated book page turner

Medicine

• Disposable/recyclable surgical instruments
• Hypodermic syringes
• Stethoscope
• Sphygmomanometer
• O/P Airways
• Endoscope
• Ultrasound scanner
• Collimated X-ray source
• CT scanner
• Pulse oxymeter
• Oxygen generation & storage systems
• Autoclave (solar?)
• IUD

Geek Toys

• A self-organising peer-to-peer cell-based Wi-Fi network
• A custom keyboard for gaming
• A Nerf(TM) gun
• Collapsing dodecahaedron
• Model of Tux the penguin
• PDA With a chord keyboard
• A Book scanner
• Ice cream maker
• Remote control hovercraft
• Electronic synthesiser
• Open Source wristwatch

RepRap Adjuncts

• 3D Scanner
• Recycler
• Electrospark erosion system
• Electrolysis erosion system (??)
• Plastics factory, eg automated PLA production from corn right through to plastic.
• Machine to draw or extrude copper or aluminium wire from raw metal scrap
• Automated coil winder, maybe along the lines of the Gingery winder but for building motor coils (DC or steppers)
• A manipulator of some kind that can assemble reprap parts into a machine (probably requiring parts to be re-designed for self-assembly too).
• Organic semiconductor production factory.
• Moulds of wax cores for "lost wax" casting, or even wax cores themselves.
• USB/serial interface.
• Simple lathe perhaps re-using existing positioning system for movement of cutting tool. eg for machining some simple plastic parts that require rotational accuracy, etc.
• Vacuum pump
• Fluidic logic
• A Java computer to run the RepRap software, or some other simple computer to run a port of it.

Advanced Tools

• Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (STM)
• LSI or VLSI IC fabricator. This could be radically different and employ simpler methods to a production line IC fab because of the reprap economies.
• An automated chemical factory that can mix and distill multiple components, while controlling temperature and pressure.
• Spectrum analyser (Infra-red?) for analysis of chemical compositions and testing purity etc.
• IR Thermometer
• Digital oscilliscope (use PC for display)
• Swarms of microbots
• Air/gas liquifier

Unsorted

No idea where to put it? Put it here and we'll sort it out later.

• Elaborate chocolate novelties
• A DVD player or some other demo item that everyday people understand that seems to have perceived value.
• General purpose digital scales
• Accurate scales for measuring small quantities of chemicals etc (mg resolution or less).
• A lawn-mower bot
• A vacuum bot
• Fishing floats, lures, weights etc.
• Passive non-return valve for liquids
• Electrically operated valve for liquids (ball valve?)
• Fluid pump (gas and/or liquid)
• pico-satellite

Weapons

No thanks. However, every other manufacturing technology that people have come up with has been used to make weapons, and there is no way to make RepRap an exception. Give people an internal combustion engine, and a few will make tanks; at least many more will make ambulances...

-- Main.VikOlliver - 08 Feb 2006