I was huge into the SW novels and expanded universe, I remember one where they talked about the "Droids" that built buildings on Courcant, basically it was a city block sized robot that printed out the buildings as it went.

I remember thinking That makes perfect sense and I wondered how long it would be before we had technology like that.

Looks like its sooner than later.

Let me know when it can print me a life size replica of the Slave I from Star Wars.

Kidding aside, it looks like a fantastic tool. However, I was a bit bummed out at the designs they were showing off. I'd have liked to see something other then a small dome for eating burgers. I would have liked to see them show off something like a small habitat or small emergency housing.

Think about it, with something this big you could easily develop large structures by printing them out section by section.

Star and flag for you.

HOUSES TOO! We have the technology to stop destroying the planet. And to ensure everyone has abundance.

When Nuclearnuttery Discoverd 3D Printers, She Said They Should Be Used to Make Skyscrapers. Media Reports That They Are Being Used to Manufacture GUNS! Uhoh.
Posted on September 9, 2012

Well, sh*t! As engineers often say…

Some months ago, likely in February, I said that 3D printers would eventually reach a point where they could yield extruded glass buildings that get squirted from robotic arms that look like nano-plasma-loaded glue guns! LOL.

I said that if CERN and those other bozos figure out palladium alchemy, why, we could be practically making metal out of nothing and stringing cities together out of hyper-resilient palladium smart glass.

Unfortunately, Yahoo news shares tonight that 3D printers can be used to manufacture REAL guns. Lord have mercy. I guess you can’t really call me a mad scientist yet, because my mind isn’t always bent toward manufacturing things that hurt. I would like to make things that help humanity — can’t these kids be taught to do the same? Imagine the confusion if people start running around with resin guns without any serial numbers.

Tesla Generators on Volcanic Vents? Singing Cities, Crystal Palaces, and Free Electricity for Everyone
Posted on February 10, 2012

Someone once brought to my attention that there are many volcanic vents open on the ocean floor. What is keeping humans from placing portable generators of some type near these incredibly hot pockets of escaping energy? WHY DRILL when a hole is already there, eh? Even Einstein should have to answer that question. Why did we reach into Hell for power when Mother Earth has everything we needed?

If you were to place a heat-to-electricity generator or a paddle wheel turbine near or above a volcanic vent on the ocean floor, couldn’t you then convert this energy to Extremely Low Frequency and send it out through an antenna? Then at the water’s edge, preferably underneath the surface, you could place your receiver, a metal ball or tower that converts the signal back into heat or whatever you want? A signal on a power line?

Each city block or section could have its own generators and grids.
Without heavy and expensive cables running from the city to the ocean floor, this might work much easier. The trick is finding a freq that doesn’t hurt animals, humans, or cause earthquakes. Putting the receiver underwater might deaden feedback, but I am not sure about this. Just seems smarter than having a trillion cell phone towers bleeding into our ears all day. Wouldn’t it be better to insulate our antennas with something capable of blocking radiation?

You could even put heavy water walls around the things but putting that in the ocean is a big NONO, correct? I guess that is why Fukushima is a bad thing.

Another idea I would like to talk about, since I don’t like writing patents and the law says when I publish this, it’s my copyright, is a better way to build skyscrapers.
We need a material that doesn’t block out all the light. Stones are nice, but they really should be on the ground floor. That is where stones belong. Where glass comes into the picture is where the 2nd floor and up are concerned.

I propose a method of robotic skyscraper building wherein palladium or another strong glass is extruded or produced on-site using nano plasma or another heating technology, and much like a small scale metal cutting machine or a Toyota factory robot, the articulated parts would move much like the grabber in a “Crane Game” from the Arcade. The “glue gun” or “glass gun” would move back and forth along the arms of the frame, and those arms can move up and down while the gun moves side to side. It should have access to every surface.

Ideas and Discoveries magazine published an article about sea sponge glass being a wonderful inspiration for modern building methods. This method of a hex-cell based wall or similar structure would permit greater permeability and the use of far less material. Instead of tons and tons of rocks and steel, you would be building with spider-web-thin strands of high test glass that flexes instead of breaking under most types of stress.

Sensors on the buildings could help control things like ventilation and give warnings in case of emergency. There could be places to plug in devices like phones or display screens. In fact my ideal city would have public terminals with privacy protection — cell phones wouldn’t be needed. There would always be a public phone within 100 yards. And a public computer. Why should we all walk like zombies on our phones and whatnot when we can embed these devices in modular buildings?

And can you imagine how beautiful a city of galvanized metal glass would be in the sunlight? So much more beautiful than any Nazi Space Needle or pile of rocks in front of Rainier. The light would pass through and be even greater after striking so many pieces of glass. When the light on the water reflects onto the glass in my mind, I see a scene play out to rival