User:Malcat
September 4th 2012
After browsing the website "thingiverse.com" there are 5 objects I would like to highlight.
1. Useful: Can Colander This really isn't the coolest thing ever, but I can definitely see it being useful. Personally I eat a lot of canned fruit and vegetables and often either cut myself or loose half my food attempting to use the jagged can lid to strain out the juice.
2. Artistic/Beautiful: Rose Just because it isn't a real flower, doesn't mean it isn't beautiful. It will also never die, so the beauty of this creation could be admired forever.
3. Useless: Steak I'm not really sure why anyone would want a plastic rendition of steak, so I'm going to designate this design as the most useless.
4. Funny: Rubber-Band Bow and Arrow Projectiles are always fun. Being able to shoot something across the classroom is something many students would find amusing.
5. Weird: Haiku As far as poems go, haikus are weird. Therefore, a 3D print out of one is also weird.
September 13th 2012
1. Do you think his goal of a ‘self-replicating universal constructor’ is feasible? What remains to be done to achieve this, or alternatively what would prevent such a goal?
I don't believe that a fully 'self-replicating universal constructor' is possible, or at least I dont think that it would really be economical to have one. Machines need so many different types of parts (electronics, hardware, motors, etc.) that while a self-replicating machine may be self-sufficient, it would be inefficient to create all these parts from one source.
2. The phrase “wealth without money” is both the title of his article and the motto of the reprap project itself. What does this phrase mean? (To him and to you if they differ). Discuss implications, problems, and possibilities associated with this idea.
This phrase means that the users of these reprap machines can make themselves wealthier by being self-sustaining and not having to spend money to make the things they want. Reducing the need for industrial production is what allows this cheaper production of objects. I think one of the main problems goes along with what I said above. Although you may be able to produce your own parts on your personal printer, these parts may not be as high of quality as those produced industrially. Also, you have to account for the down-time required to print your own parts when you could more quickly simply buy another.
3. The Darwin design was released in 2007. It is 2012 now. Imagine future scenarios for RepRaps and their ‘cousin’ 3D printing designs (Makerbots, Ultimachine, Makergear, etc.) how do you think the RepRap project (community, designs, website, anything and everything) might evolve in the future? Describe as many scenarios as you can envision.
