
SolarSinter: Using Solar and Sand for 3D printing on site - bifrost
http://www.markuskayser.com/work/solarsinter/
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nacnud
Could this be combined with Theo Jansen's Strandbeest idea, to make a machine
that (very) slowly melts a glass road through the desert, powered only by the
sun and the wind?

[1] [http://www.exploratorium.edu/strandbeest/meet-the-
beests](http://www.exploratorium.edu/strandbeest/meet-the-beests)

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patrickk
I wonder what possible applications could come out of using a fresnel lens+a
stirling engine to drive pistons in a desert:
[https://youtu.be/CDCTANU8Tfk?t=1m1s](https://youtu.be/CDCTANU8Tfk?t=1m1s)

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Teever
The goal of such a system would be self-replication[1]. So the material that
the stirling engine is made from should be sourced locally from the
environment. Perhaps iron or aluminium.

Also make use of molten salt energy storage systems to keep the system running
over night.

Calculate your doubling time and extrapolate to determine when you've solved
the worlds energy problems, or when you've turned it into grey goo. ;)

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDo2OeeimHA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDo2OeeimHA)

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nacnud
Ok, but one step at a time! :)

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Teever
The key to this kind of a system is to reduce both part and element count.

That way full-closure of hte system will be easier to achieve and full self-
replication will be an easy step to take.

Stirling engines and Fresnel lenses are the right path for both electrical and
thermal energy production. If you can keep as much of the system as possible
derived from sand and clay it's pretty much producable anywhere on Earth.

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brianbreslin
This was on here 5 years ago.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2695979](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2695979)

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smoyer
And should have the appropriate [2011] marker in the title.

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Pica_soO
This will be so awesome, once the thing can integrate lenses, solardriven
circuitry and silica-gel to its constructions.

Imagine a structure that collects dew and heat during the day, and transports
that water up during the night. Providing a canopy and a microclimate in the
dessert from which forests can sprout. And its printed on side, with no
additional materials needed.

Shoot it to mars, print domes with alge in it.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
What are the downsides to cultivating large areas of desert?

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Pica_soO
Eh, usually use up of limited resources for irrigation (oil, fossile water),
but this could create transforming machines from glass and energy. Well.. if
you like sand boarding or dune buggy this thing has a downside..

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snarfy
Please add (2011) to the title.

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jlebrech
we could build bases on mars and the moon by creating sintered pyramid shaped
buildings, I think the pyramid shape would lend itself well.

we need three types of robots: the duster, the sinterer and a shovel type
robot, to move suitable materials and then sinter it into block.

after each level the robots can create a ramp and repeat the process.

