DISQUS

TAD · 3 years ago

Lego Mindstorms are kind of in the first generation of consumer assemblable products. That is, given a manufacturing "kit" (robot parts) consumers are able to create new items and then share with each other how they created them.

I have no doubt that in the future we'll be able to buy inexpensive "production facilities" like a 3d printer/inkject circuitry creator and be able to access scripts or blueprints for totally new consumer electronics and be able to create our own and share them. For example with a kit like I'm imagining, I'd be able to print out and create the latest, hippest wi-fi gadget. A couple of days later, it'll be sooooooo Tuesday and I'll print out Thursday's hot item. Eventually the component prices will be so low it'll all be disposable.

Lego Mindstorms is basically a really crude version of a system like I've described above. Or am I insane?

Pete Cashmore · 3 years ago

I can't comment on your sanity (!), but I agree with you that 3D printing is the next step in the evolution of user-generated content - ie. user-generated products. I expect you've read FAB: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop - definitely indicative of things to come. And obviously if product designs ever become open-source, we'll have peer-produced objects that are just are good as those offered up by companies.

But all that is still a long way off - not only are desktop 3D printers still in the $20,000+ range (and that's for a *used* one), but the cost of the materials means that it's still cheaper to buy an object than print it yourself at home. And we haven't even begun to figure out how to combine circuit board printing and solid object creation into a single device. So it's still a long way off, but exciting nonetheless.

TAD · 3 years ago

Long way off in the 21st century means about 10 years or so. :D Pieces and parts of modern electronics are already almost throwaway cheap. 1GB SD cards will probably be under $20 by the end of the year. I'm guessing there will be a thriving hobbiest market for creating custom consumer electronics and gadgets by the end of the year. The demand for more will drive prices down on desktop manufacturing. If we don't get affordable completely customizable circuitry we'll have super cheap snap-together components in a few years.

There was an article last month about breakthroughs in computer simulations of nano-engineering - i.e. placing molecules right where you want them. I can already imagine future desktop contests to see who can create the "sickest" nano-engineered tchochke.

Pete Cashmore · 3 years ago

"Long way off in the 21st century means about 10 years or so."

Yep, sounds reasonable. The rate of change is increasing dramatically, so I expect "long way" off will mean a shorter time period by next year.

David G · 3 years ago

GREAT Post Pete ... now will some-one please tell Umair that "edge competences" is plain old outsourcing ... ;-) ... Mashable is MY fav. Web2.0 blog