Motivation

Over the past decade, the increasing use of personal computers in homes has dramatically altered various industries, including publishing, media, photography, telecommunications, and education. Many tasks that formerly required costly and specialized hardware can now be accomplished by consumers with inexpensive equipment. Printing technology, for example, has undergone rapid change. Today, laser and inkjet printers allow the production of professional-quality documents and photographs at very low cost.

In this project, I consider the feasibility of bringing an automated fabrication technology to the home. If such a technology to manufacture usable physical objects were available on a wide scale the relationships of producers, vendors, and users of goods could change dramatically.

Notes:

• Neil Gershenfeld describes a similar concept as a "personal fabricator."
• This concept for this project was suggested by Brygg Ullmer