The Robots are Coming — Automation Might Just Save the Planet
Why we shouldn’t fear the coming wave of automation even if it does replace all the jobs
Digital Manufacturing
3d printing isn’t what most people think it is… it’s slow, it’s hard, and most of the time you need to baby your printer, maintain it far, far more than you think you will have to. It only produces plastic things, and often they aren’t all that good. Certainly, they aren’t as good as the injection moulded plastic things we get from China.
A few months ago my tripod broke. Not a big deal, just a little plastic catch. It holds the camera in place and it’s easy to take off. My tripod is older and replacement parts aren’t exactly common, so I did the best I could to keep using it without the catch, but it meant I often skipped it, even if it was absolutely needed for the shot I wanted.
I opened up my 3d modelling software and did up a new version. It took about five minutes and another five to print. My tripod works again, I didn’t have to search and nothing had to be shipped from China. That’s the key bit right there. Nothing had to be shipped from anywhere, my plastic catch was made in my own home.
