[nylug-talk] TOMORROW! NYLUG Wednesday 11 July General Meeting Presents: Zach Smith -on- Open Source Manufacturing and RepRap

Tue Jul 10 18:53:50 EDT 2007

I guess we switched back to needing RSVP.  Last few times we were at  
google there didn't seem to be a problem.  Wierd.

Matthew

Matthew Barr
Senior Systems Adminstrator - Community Connect
mbarr at mbarr.net
cell: 646-765-6878

On Jul 10, 2007, at 9:30 AM, John Bacall wrote:

> REMINDER: This meeting is tomorrow, RSVP closes TODAY
> Visit http://rsvp.nylug.org to see if RSVP is still open.
>
> Tuesday, July 11th, 2007
> 6:30pm-8:00pm
> Google
> 76th 9th Ave., b/w 15th and 16th St.
> 4th Floor, enter near 16th Street
>
> ** RSVP Closes at 2:30pm the day before the meeting (sharp!) ***
> Please RSVP for EVERY meeting at this time.
> Register at http://rsvp.nylug.org/
> Check in with photo ID at the lobby for badge.
> Latecomers can sign in, but it means having to sign in and
> possibly wait a bit.
>
> PLEASE NOTE: There are no other procedures involved in attending
> NYLUG meetings other than those described here. (you are not
> required to enter into any agreements to attend)
>
>                               Zach Smith
>                                  -on-
>                   Open Source Manufacturing and RepRap
>
>    This Wednesday 11 July meeting is refreshingly unique. A project  
> with
>    goals extraordinary. Simply, the bootstrapping of objects by other
>    objects. A thing making another thing, or its own thing. =)
>
>    RepRap is an open source project to create a self replicating 3D
>    printing machine. With this machine the goal is to one day be  
> able to
>    automatically create a variety of real objects, including a copy of
>    the machine itself. This technology is the core of something our
>    speaker, Zach Smith likes to call open source manufacturing. The  
> way
>    it works is that you design an object using software, and then the
>    machine takes that design and turns it into a finished product. You
>    can then choose to share your virtual object with anyone in the
>    world.
>
>    The first version of the machine is currently under development,  
> but
>    Zach Smith and the rest of the RepRap Project are very close to
>    finished. Basically a Cartesian Robot, a 3D positioning system,  
> moves
>    a print head across a build surface. The print head is a
>    thermoplastic extruder. A custom-built, juiced up hot glue gun. It
>    heats and pushes plastic through a tiny nozzle to form a stream of
>    plastic that is laid down line by line, layer by layer to form a
>    complete object. Voila!
>
>    There are 4 main areas in the project, and all are released  
> under the
>    GPL. First, there is the host software that controls the printer,
>    written in Java. Second, there is the firmware, written in C that
>    processes and executes the commands from the host software.  
> Third are
>    the electronics designs, which are used to manufacture the boards.
>    Finally, there are the mechanical designs for the actual printed
>    parts.
>
>    The project as a whole spans many disciplines, from software to
>    electronics to mechanics. There is an interesting problem here for
>    everyone, no matter what your skills are.
>
>    Points of interest.
>
>      * A NASA study has concluded that creating a self replicating
>      * machine
>        is roughly the same difficulty as creating a Pentium 4 chip.
>      * Currently there are 50-75 people actively attempting to  
> create a
>        RepRap machine.
>      * RepRap hopes to announce successful self-replication by 2008.
>
>    3D printing is an amazing technology, and has vast potential. If
>    efforts such as the RepRap project's are successful then anyone  
> that
>    wants a 3D printing device will be able to have one. With all the
>    spectacular implications to our economies and possibly humanity.  
> Far
>    fetched? Pie in the sky?
>
>    Hear Zach Smith detail it for you this Wednesday, July 11th.
>
>    Further Information:
>      * http://www.reprap.org
>
>      * http://blog.reprap.org
>
>      * http://forums.reprap.org
>
>      * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replication
>
>      * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_machine
>
>      * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
>
>    About Zach Smith:
>
>    Zach Smith is a 23 year old DNA based self-replicating human. His
>    primary interests are girls, the internet, robots, cool stuff, and
>    making things. His favorite color is green, and he enjoys being
>    alive.  He works for an awesome company (Connected Ventures) making
>    an ``awesome website.'' (vimeo.com)
>
> Meeting Location
>   Please note that this meeting will be held at Google, 76 9th Ave,
>   4th floor, between 15th and 16th Streets, and not at IBM. This is
>   the old Port Authority Building, and takes up the entire block.
>   You want the entrance nearest 16th Ave.
>
> Map
>   http://tighturl.com/u4
>
> Free Refreshments!
>   Google is also graciously providing refreshments during the
>   meeting.
>
> Books!!!
>   Our friends at Prentice-Hall kindly provide us with review copies
>   of various new titles.  One of these could be yours, all you have
>   to do is agree to review the book within a reasonable period of
>   time.
>
> Swag (Give Away)
>   During/after the meeting... unusually terrific swag may be given
>   away.
>
> Stammtisch
>   After the meeting ... Many of us have been meeting over at the
>   Hog Pit starting around 8:15-8:30.  http://www.hogpit.com
>   22 Ninth Avenue at 13th Street, New York, New York 10014
>
> Please see our home page at http://www.nylug.org for the HTMLized
> version of this announcement, our archives, and a lot of other good
> stuff.
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