Endless Robot 3D Prints Full Scale Tables and Chairs from Recycled Waste (Video)
OK- all the buzz and furor about small 3D printing technology, like the Makerbot, is great, and it will be wonderful when all of us have the ability to create any necessary, or unnecessary, object at home, at will. But, what's at the other end of the scale - bigger, better, and even more ecological? How about a 3D printer robot that recycles waste of all types and uses it to print big stuff, like furniture? Wouldn't that be cool?
This month, at the "The Future in the Making" exhibition held in conjunction with the 2012 Milan Furniture Fair, attendees will get to see exactly that - a huge robot using additive manufacturing to recycle waste from old computers, TVs, refrigerators, etc. into full scale tables and chairs.
The "Endless" robot system created by Dirk Vander Kooij utilizes a commonly available, if expensive, industrial robot, and can print a full sized chair in approximately 3 hours.
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So that’s how it’s done! Fascinating video – Thanks for sending, Lem.
So it takes recycled plastic from e-waste and prints 3-D objects using an expensive printing bot. Taking three hours to print a plastic chair out, how could this ever be viable as a profitable business. It wouldn’t even break even unless these things are sold as original works of robotic art which are one of a kind. Even then, I wonder if it could be successful. It’s a cool idea though. If the process could be sped up, the printing bots produced/purchased cheaper, and the liquid plastic obtained cheaper, then maybe this could turn out to be a worthwhile thing. I guess everything starts out expensive and experimental.
Well, you know, in every university there are at least two old fashioned/dusted/abandoned robot arms that nobody uses ’cause the “automation boom” already passed. I’ve observed that in many sites. So any alternative use for such beasts is very wellcome
Creio que agregar valores monetários não é o foco nesse momento, precisamos desenvolver ideias sustentáveis, ganhar dinheiro com isso é uma consequência. Penso que vale a pena pagar mais, mas respeitar o meio ambiente.
Aliás, belo design
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