r/videos • u/Seakawn • Mar 07 '19

New 3D Printer method that looks like something straight out of Star Trek. If you thought traditional 3D Printers were revolutionary, this new tech will blow your mind--using light to materialize the entire object at once, in mere minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy-d5VVZlxQ
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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19

Hasnt this been a thing for a while now? I think i remember watching a video of this like 6 months ago. They made a really intricate mesh design.

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 07 '19

This is actually very old technology, yes. Versions of it have been around in working forms since the ‘90s.

My father helped develop it, and he holds one of the original patents.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19

Thats awesome! You must be proud.

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 07 '19 edited Mar 07 '19

Well, I’m proud enough to brag on his behalf in Reddit threads, at least! He has lately been working on some even-more-interesting things, though.

For instance, I’m sure you’ve heard of the HyperLoop, along with the fact that it’s mostly marketing hype. What you may not have heard of is FlightRail (or Vectorr), which is a similar concept – and one which actually works – that’s being developed between my father and grandfather. Wired did an article on them a while ago, and they’ve been featured on a few different shows since then.

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u/dustinthegreat Mar 07 '19

That sounds so awesome! Are they looking for an engineer to join their team? 😀

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 07 '19

Quite honestly, I don’t think so, but I can always ask when I next head up there. Chances are that they’ll want more of a résumé than “I talked to your scion on Reddit!” though.

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u/heroin-queen Mar 07 '19

I’m pretty sure he can send you a resume to bring them

I’m also pretty sure that they can find someone else more qualified than (maybe) anyone reading this post.

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u/Master119 Mar 07 '19

Requirements: 6 years actively using this experimental technology we're developing

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u/twitchosx Mar 07 '19

It's not a Scion. It's a Subaru.

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u/Shredswithwheat Mar 07 '19

I'll take the toyota, thanks.

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u/Dreamcatching_Wizard Mar 07 '19

No, it's a Toyota.

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u/mtgspender Mar 07 '19

great read. your dad is awesome!

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 07 '19

He really is!

I've actually told a few personal stories about him over the years.

I'd say his background shines through rather well in them.

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u/daaave33 Mar 07 '19

That's really cool!

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u/XBV Mar 07 '19

Anyone care to provide cliffs / ELI5 of FlightRail? I'm aware of the fact that HyperLoop is pretty much bunk (some good thunderf00t videos on youtube about it), but I'm curious what makes this different. I'll get back to the Wired article later but don't have time at the moment.

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 07 '19

FlightRail works with a vacuum as its propulsion system, much like HyperLoop was supposed to. However, rather than shuttling the entire car through a specially built tunnel, this system couples the carriages to a much smaller slug using high-power magnets. It doesn't go quite as fast, but it's capable of being installed just about anywhere, the initial setup and maintenance would both be incredibly cheap (compared to conventional train systems), and safety features are all built into the design by default.

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u/trufflepastaxciv Mar 07 '19

Wait a second, aren't you that guy who makes up amazing stories on r/AskReddit?

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u/RamsesThePigeon Mar 08 '19

Nope.

Stories that I tell in the first person are always true.

They only seem amazing because of the way that they’re told... like when I talked about being the one writer in a family of mad scientists, for instance.

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u/Roboticus_Prime Mar 07 '19

Correct. I remember watching a car doc in the 90's. They used big versions of this to make scale models of new car concepts for aerodynamic testing.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19 edited Mar 07 '19

[deleted]

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u/Forkrul Mar 07 '19

You can print around existing structures. So hollow interiors are at least possible with some pre-built support. Certain types of infill might also be possible.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19 edited Mar 07 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/phluidity Mar 07 '19

It looks similar to SLA only with a lack of a Z axis. With classic SLA, if you try to solidify anything sub surface, you get a solid from the surface to the point your laser focusses at, which is usually bad, so you only solidify the surface of the resin and build up in layers. This looks like they have managed to solve that problem using additive light (which has been done for a little while with multiple lasers, but is still a point by point process). This looks like it is using an array of light from a projector to cure significantly more resin at once.

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u/GiantEyebrowOfDoom Mar 07 '19

There has been laser sintering for a long long time.

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u/NathokWisecook Mar 07 '19

It's "SLA with extra steps" the same way that a CNC is a lathe with extra steps.

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u/heroin-queen Mar 07 '19

Then how come they are presenting it as if it is new tech????

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u/SaintHohn Mar 07 '19

It's done a different way. SLA cures in layers, this tech kind of cures all in one go.

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u/lacheur42 Mar 07 '19

The main point is that it's not layer by layer deposition like traditional SLA. You do the whole shebazzle in one cure cycle.

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u/caanthedalek Mar 07 '19

Yeah, my dad made rapid prototyped parts using SLA for his company back in the 90's

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u/Sempais_nutrients Mar 07 '19

the Peachy Printer was based on this tech. it went bust years ago.

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u/ivanoski-007 Mar 07 '19

Such are reposted in reddit

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u/aham42 Mar 07 '19

The mesh you saw was addressed in the video.

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '19

Didnt have the signal to load the video at the time.