The LM3D Swim from Local Motors is trying to be your first 3D printed car.
(LM3D Local Motors 3D printed car video)
The all-electric LM3D Swim comprises approximately 75 percent 3D-printed parts, but the company aims to increase that number to 90 percent as the technology continues to develop. The Swim's body is the result of a crowd-sourced contest that ended in July. "In the past few months our engineers have moved from only a rendering to the car you see in front of you today," Local Motors CEO Jay Rogers told the crowd at SEMA, where the car debuted.
Local Motors' press release mentions that preorders for its car will take place in spring 2016, at an estimated retail price of $53,000. Initial deliveries are slated for 2017.
Fans of Philip K. Dick know about the Biltong life forms from his 1956 short story Pay for the Printer. These strange creatures from the Centaurus system could effectively "print out" a duplicate of a reference object placed before them.
The Biltongs are perhaps the earliest example of the idea that it would be possible to make copies of three-dimensional objects directly, without manufacturing. Even cars.
"Can your Biltong print for more than a hundred people?" John Dawes asked softly.
"Right now he can," Fergesson answered. He proudly indicated his Buick. "You rode in it - you know how good it is. Almost as good as the original it was printed from…"
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