Beaming LEGO's like Star Trek

[johnsocal]

The next few decades will certainly be interesting ;)

An original Lego spaceship sits under five copies that were created with a scanner. The digital models can be enlarged or recolored before printing, and the shape can even be altered slightly.

A NextEngine 3-D scanner uses laser beams to scan objects on a turntable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/business...dce5&ei=5087%0A

Beaming Up 3-D Objects on a Budget

By PETER WAYNER

OVER the last few decades, the electronics industry has worked magic with documents by building gadgets that copy, e-mail, print or fax flat images. Now it is building boxes that do something similar with three-dimensional objects.

These tools are not news to the industrial designers of the world, who have been able to buy 3-D printers and scanners with prices in the tens of thousands of dollars. But now hobbyists and small businesses are starting to benefit from low-cost versions of the tools.

Laser scanners with arrays of cameras can create digital models of objects that encode all the significant bumps, cracks, corners and facets of real things. Computers can enhance, morph or tweak the models before shipping them to 3-D

[Hinckley]

That's amazingly fascinating and fascinatingly amazing...

Imagine being able to copy a piece at home. Instead of ordering tiles from Pick a Brick online, you could copy a 1 x 2 tan tile 1000 times if you needed it. LEGO could sell the ABS and dye directly to consumers...

Or LEGO could fax a set to your house!!!

[Starwars4J]

First, I'll move this to general ;-)

Anyway, as the article says this technology isn't new, for a long time now companies have used machines like this to build models for clients, especially in the construction and engineering fields. Sure the copiers may be coming down in price (as it says), but this will never be feasible for the average hobbiest. See while they can work, they still need something to make the lego with. And that means a sufficient (read: large) batch of quality ABS. This also means all the correct dyes in the correct amounts and percentages to get the correct shades for lego parts.

Not to mention that this can't chrome, and chroming costs an arm and a leg.

The printers also won't make anything to the same precision and quality as a full injection mold, or you'd already see larger customizers like Brickforge and Little Armory using them as cheap alternatives.

While it's a cool little concept, it's so far in it's infancy that we won't see anything that can reproduce the quality of full injection-molds for another 20 years, and that still leaves the problem of getting the colors right, as well as sufficient quantities of ABS.

As for me? I may pick one up when the price drops some more to reproduce sculpy creations on the cheap, as I won't be using injection molding anytime soon, and resin casting is so impractical on any kind of decent scale.

Edit: Also, notice the problem it has reproducing the hollow studs up top? It's a nice concept, but just like the flying car it won't be implemented for quite awhile :-D And still won't be as good as the real thing. Maybe for reproducing Megeblok though :-P

[Jipay]

Reproducing a computer generated model into 3d would also be an intesting way of using it. Now it opens some really interesting doors. As mentioned, soon we might be able to transfert (or even duplicate !) human beings. Scary isn't it ? :-)

[Asuka]

Very interesting....

But will it taste good? 8-|

[Hinckley]

First, I'll move this to general ;-)

Anyway, as the article says this technology isn't new, for a long time now companies have used machines like this to build models for clients, especially in the construction and engineering fields. Sure the copiers may be coming down in price (as it says), but this will never be feasible for the average hobbiest. See while ...

Edit: Also, notice the problem it has reproducing the hollow studs up top? It's a nice concept, but just like the flying car it won't be implemented for quite awhile :-D And still won't be as good as the real thing. Maybe for reproducing Megeblok though :-P

Ugh. Way to poop on our parade S4J. :-D

I realize this isn't perfect now and yes it has been around for ages, but think of what the technology COULD bring in the next ten or twenty years. I'm sure this isn't the final stage of development. Notice the article says the reprodutions are made from resin or starch. Of course it's not possible yet. But can we please imagine the possibilities without your cynical rationale?

Although, I do agree that Megablok could start using it today...and it'd be an improvement. Megablok...now with starch

;-)

[Starwars4J]

:-D :-D

Sorry, I didn't mean to poop on your parade, I was tired and I guess I sounded a bit more monotone than I meant to! I agree that it will be fantastic in a few decades, and have great possibilities for customizers, though I think the color issue might make reproducing bricks and the like a bit difficult, especially on any scale!

This gives me another thought...people using this to make cheap copies of very rare and valuable pieces to sell as a scam *wacko*

[Hinckley]

:-D :-D

Sorry, I didn't mean to poop on your parade, I was tired and I guess I sounded a bit more monotone than I meant to! I agree that it will be fantastic in a few decades, and have great possibilities for customizers, though I think the color issue might make reproducing bricks and the like a bit difficult, especially on any scale!

This gives me another thought...people using this to make cheap copies of very rare and valuable pieces to sell as a scam *wacko*

Quite all right! :-D I knew you meant no harm!

I think what is cool about this is the article says you can alter the shape and color. How many times have you thought "I wish I had a brick that looked like this..." or "has one less stud" or "was half this size" or "could turn flip the stud-plain 180 degrees!" You could just get on your computer and make one! If they're making fax machines that can send objects, they could make a computer program that builds LEGO in your house! LEGO could offer discontinued pieces and colors and not have to produce the molds or dyes.

[Zaktan of the Shadows]

Woah, tahts cool! Its expensive though.

-ZotS

[Athos]

Wow...

Steve

[Mr Hobbles]

I foresee all LEGO being sold online. You can't buy LEGO sets in the shops anymore, instead you buy a "LEGO printer". You then go on the website, buy the design for a brick, then print it off yourself.

I also see LEGO charging for the amount of printouts you need. ie. The brick plan costs