Personal / Desktop Fabrication

Imagine that your coffee maker breaks just before you’re about to host a brunch. You go online and click on the model you want to buy. But you don’t have to wait for it to be shipped; instead, a machine on your desk kicks into operation. Inside a glass chamber, a nozzle spits out the electronics, chassis, motor and other components, layer by layer. An hour later, you snap together a few parts and the brewing begins. David Pescovitz has written a great article for Salon on the future of desktop fabrication and the various approaches researchers are pursuing.