Posted on 07/05/2016 5:04:13 PM PDT by Reeses
As several recent military conflicts have emphasized, warfare is changing. The focus is shifting to attrition, guerilla warfare and home front terror, and as a result many militaries are working hard to become more flexible and create military forces that can rapidly adapt to any situation. It’s exactly why 3D printers are finding their way to warships for on-the-fly repairs and alterations. But a team of UK scientists and engineers from the University of Glasgow and BAE Systems are already looking much further than that. They are working on a chemical 3D printer called the Chemputer, which can grow highly advanced and bespoke unmanned aircraft in a matter of weeks.
This futuristic concept was unveiled ahead of this year’s Farnborough International Airshow. The Chemputer sounds like something that is coming straight out of science fiction, but this is molecular-level 3D printer that grows everything from wings to electronic systems is really under development. The idea, of course, is to quickly build military equipment close to the battlefield and adapt it to overcome any geographical, technological or numerical disadvantages an army might have. What’s more, the drones are envisioned to be highly functional, flying at ultra-fast speeds and high altitudes to even outpace missile systems and provide a rapid response behind enemy lines.
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In a nutshell, they are envisioning a 3D printer that prints environmentally sustainable molecules, rather than objects or layered structures. With the help of additives and nutrients, these molecules will be encouraged to grow into any necessary (functional) shape. This is obviously extremely ambitious, but not impossible.
(Excerpt) Read more at 3ders.org ...
A little creepy, if you axe me.
“Can you grow me a ‘55 Chevy please?”
That is just super creepy, especially if you extrapolate. Imagine warehouses full of vats growing hunter/killer ground assault drones. I try to resist the feeling that Terminator will prove to be somewhat prophetic.
What could possibly go wrong?
Unless it folds up into a briefcase, I’m waiting for the George Jetson model.
Hmm, just what I was thinking!
When my friends are discussing the Boston Dynamics robots, I have to point out to them that whatever they are looking at there are warehouses of them already.
Ready to patrol the forests and “print” battlefield ordnance.
... in other words what you just said is likely already a reality.
By the time they talk about doing something, they have already done it. When they talk about going into production production began long ago.
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