The front page of todays news was a story about a 3d printer which makes a plastic replica of whatever you design. The problem is that the replica can turn out to be a functional gun. I can see that there are so many good uses for such a device, but unfortunately there will be a group of people that would seek to exploit this product to create items that are dangerous. I can't see why this printer could be offered to the public if it is as dangerous as it appears. What are your thoughts? Should anyone be able to purchase a 3d printer?
I've heard of these, and yes they can be used to make homemade guns. I think it's hard to judge, since on one hand, you will have a whole lot of people making a lot of cool new stuff, but on the other hand, people can make unlicensed guns at will. I think it should be allowed but regulated, I'm not a fan of banning things and regulation almost always is a good compromise to these types of situations.
Since its going to be just a plastic replica I don't think it can make a functional gun. It may just make toy gun or a Proto model. It can't make a gun that normally costs thousands and Lakhs using plastic. If it really can, then I am sure it will be banned. This 3D printer can used to make some cool stuffs and proto types.
3d printers can make anything you provide a pattern for. It prints simple things like cups to detailed items like prosthetic limbs for amputees. This is the printer of the future. People could make guns before the printers were invented so I'm not sure how big of an effect it will have. The guns are fully functional but are still prone to self destruction. With this technology there will have to be new regulations and laws to help govern it. I don't think this is a negative invention.
The technology is interesting.. but yes, the fact that it can be misused is high. That is the price we have to pay for bringing up a valueless society. Technology is in itself a boon to society. I wonder if stuff like this will lead to many more disasters if it gets into the hands of the misinformed, the ignorant and the those with no scruples. On the other hand it will considerably reduce much of the difficulties and hard work in product designing and testing. That would indeed be a boon to industries.
Plastic isn't the only thing they can print. You can get prints in different grades of plastic, metals, and rubber, including combinations of these materials in one printing. This was possible 3 years ago. Mainstream news is usually late with these sorts of things. A lot of great things can be done with this, but unfortunately we get the bad as well.
I think the opinions on this will closely reside with those on gun control. As I see it, if one is willing to hurt or kill someone, any control enforced will have little effect. I do not believe ease of access to guns is much correlated with the killing at will - accidents, perhaps. So no, I do not believe something such as a 3D Printer (something that could be very great, as I see it) should be prohibited from the public. I know myself how usefully 3D printer could be. I would be doing CAD all the time if I had one.
It's going to be overpriced though. I don't see why they should release it to the public. It most likely will be taken advantage of.
I would have voted against it but weighing the opinions given so far, I find it harmless. I'm a lover of tech and cannot wait to see how it works in real-life. What is the price anyway... Is it not one of those high-end technologies?
I think 3D printers are amazing and cool, but the government will probably have to outlaw using them to make certain things, and if you're caught with a functional gun that you made, then you should do jail time. People can make illegal things, like drugs, that doesn't mean that just because you CAN create it that you should. The 3D printer technology shouldn't be banned but it'll have to be watched and regulated.
