When I was just a wee-geek-boy, I remember watching a show called Beyond 2000
and in a particular episode, they covered a new technology called 3d
printing which uses lasers to carve and melt polymer together. At the
time, it was just small projects - little objects that could help
designers better envision and test their creations. This opened the
doors to rapid prototyping.
Fast forward almost 20 years and it seems the technology has
advanced far enough to print not only the object, but the mechanics
inside as well.
One of the first to fruition from this technology is of course,
funded by the military. It’s called the Polecat UAV (unmanned aerial
vehicle), designed to test cheaper and faster manufacturing
technologies. Since most of its parts are laser printed, there is less
room for manufacturing errors as computers are far more accurate and
consistent.
If the project proves successful, we could see the technology
trickle down to consumer levels. 3D laser printing could be the bridge
between current manufacturing methodologies and the often romanticized
nano technology.
via new scientist tech
