Teleportation is wonderful sci-fi fantasy. Perhaps there are civilizations in the outer reaches of our galaxy that have achieved this theoretical possibility. Maybe there is a form of life (whatever that means) that teleports naturally by some innate genetic property. It’s fun to let your imagination wander and wonder about the possibilities.
If you apply a straightjacket to your imagination (Feynman) and only imagine the potential within the known laws of physics, you can turn to quantum information processing to see some practical advances towards the sci-fi concept of teleportation. Quantum information, such as the spin of a particle or the polarization of an atom, is transferred across great distances without traveling through a physical medium. For instance, a team at the University of Michigan reported in the January 23rd issue of Science, that they had transferred a quantum state from one atom to another. Quantum information systems will require this capability in order to store memory at both the receiving and sending points of transmissions.
In the world of 3D printing, picture this scenario: You have a 3D printed object that you ordered from a site, but you absolutely do not have access to the CAD file from which this object was 3D printed. You do, however, have a 3D scanner. You don’t have a 3D printer, but you do have access to one through a networked service, likeOctoPrint. You can “send” the object by capturing its physical data digitally, and then transmitting that data to another computer and 3D printer, which will replicate the object as best as it can. Going back to the sci-fi concept, the matter is dissolved as it enters one portal, and then it rematerializes somewhere else, almost instantly.
At the HassoPlattner Institute in Brandenburg, Germany, a team of researchers have created a process that is interesting, but somewhat easy to be opposed to, depending on your opinion about the future of DRM and IP protection. They’ve created a process where the object being scanned is simultaneously destroyed and, as the layers are destroyed, they are also encrypted. The machine has a cute name that alludes to Star Trek: Scotty.
Scotty is an off-the-shelf 3D printer combined with a “3-axis milling machine, a camera, and a micro-controller for encryption/decryption and transmission.”As you can guess, the CNC machine does the destroying as the camera performs the scan, which is then encrypted and transmitted, one layer at a time. The computer and 3D printer receiving the encrypted layers begins printing as each layer of scanned/destroyed data comes in. This creates a visual teleportation effect: as one user witnesses the object slowly disappearing by way of the CNC machine “shaver” and simultaneously reappearing somewhere via another 3D printer.
Now, if we just stop a minute and think about this, it’s pretty ridiculous. Why not just encrypt scanned data, send it to another printer, and destroy the original object? This is not teleportation, but it is made out of the same fabric of the illusions we’ve seen on television shows and in movies over the years. It is a special effect.
The claims of the researchers, as to why the original object is destroyed,involve allusions to preserving the emotional or sentimental value of an object, which I don’t think makes too much sense. The other claim is that Scotty can address “some of the licensing issues involved in fast electronic delivery of physical goods.”Seems like a futile gesture to me. One of the most amazing things about 3D printers, is what that it could potentially transform the sale and manufacture of goods, eliminating the possibility of regulation. This seems like a walk back to appeal to digital rights and IP lovers.
I would rather see 3D printing effect consumables in the way that it has with prosthetics, by reducing the price by a tremendous amount, while increasing accessibility and customizability.
