[Fsuk-manchester] 3D printed “air bike” on R4

[Simon Ward]

What has this got to do with free software?

Not much really, it’s more about free hardware.  During questions in
Richard Stallman’s Copyright vs Community lecture in Sheffield, one of
the audience asked Stallman his view on free designs for hardware.

The response was a quite staunch rejection of the idea at this time
because we do not have the means to easily create the hardware.  Maybe
in 50 years?  Stallman seemed to get hung up on using a 3D printer to
create physical devices (despite the person asking the question
attempting to drive the discussion away, because he wasn’t limiting it
to 3D printing).

I was formulating in my head a counter‐argument, including that some 3D
printers were capable of producing small parts strong enough to be
useful.  I had nothing practical to back it up.  In any case, these 3D
printers are prohibitively expensive.  Makerbot markets theirs as
“affordable” at over $1k.  The RepRap is a free design, and is
sufficient to build its component parts, although I hadn’t any examples
of actual useful things being built with it.  I knew any point my
argument had would be lost.

This morning on R4, they talked about an “air bike” created by EADS
using 3D printing, that could be ridden (and was apparently ridden in
the building).  Now that’s a good example of a 3D printed product that
is actually useful.  (I expect it is still prohibitively expensive
though.)

Simon
-- 
A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that works.—John Gall

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