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[perkiset]

I know they've been around for a while now, but this little NatGeo piece on 3D printers is pretty cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw

I thought that going from scanner directly to print with that kind of accuracy was particularly cool - no wireframe / CAD required.

[daviator]

I've read about these things, but had no idea they were that far along.  This is amazing technology.  It really is within spitting distance of a Star-Trek style replicator.  Well, not spitting distance perhaps, but a pretty amazing proof of concept for such a thing.

But I'll bet that's the world's most expensive crescent wrench.

[perkiset]

LOL@most expensive wrench

There are now several different versions of that sort of machine, but the whole loop, from scan to print is really pretty incredible. I've read that there are now bio-printers, where they're trying to "print" biological substances into the same sort of thing ... think printed replacement trach, skin, even organs. Really wild.

[nutballs]

First grown trachea replacement was a few days ago. Just a few more until printing them on demand think.

[perkiset]

I read that one as well. Amazing stuff. Very Star Trek.