
Fiberbots: Design of a multi-agent, fiber composite digital fabrication system - eaguyhn
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/fiberbots/overview/
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Animats
Here's an industrial scale version already in use in China.[1] This process is
called filament winding. The MIT group is just doing it with a slightly
different mechanism than usual.

[1] [https://www.frpmachine.com/frpmachine/vertical-frp-tank-
wind...](https://www.frpmachine.com/frpmachine/vertical-frp-tank-winding-
machine.html)

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colordrops
Took me a minute to understand the mechanism behind these devices. Interested
to see how the idea could be applied to practical applications.

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bayesian_horse
Cool technology, but I don't see yet how this could be superior to other
construction methods in any practical way.

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benj111
Could some one explain what 'digital' means in this context?

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bayesian_horse
The design is expressed in data and executed with minimal Human intervention.

Much like 2D printing, 3D printing etc.

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benj111
I thought that, but 3d printing isn't digital printing, CNC manufacture isn't
digital manufacture.

3d printing, or additive manufacture seem to be more descriptive, as less
likely to be confused with actual digital things?

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bayesian_horse
There is an increase in the ratio of work performed in the digital domain,
rather than through physical processing, often making things more efficient,
easier or cheaper.

Like with the transition from an analog printing process (including shooting,
developing etc photos) to the digital one.

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benj111
Yes I understand. But take my CNC example, you design on a computer, a
computer cuts out the pieces. If it's mass production, a robot could put the
pieces together. This doesn't digitise anymore of the process.

I can understand the use of 'digital' to refer to a novel use of computing,
such as your digital photography example. But that's a transitory use, digital
photography is now just photography. But again though this doesn't seem to go
any further than a CNC or 3d printer.

So I'm here confused as to why they've used that word, because it doesn't seem
to add anything, which suggests it was probably the wrong word (or I'm
misunderstanding something).

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harperlee
The process of choosing the name of a commercial product will (should) always
contain some degree of marketing. Another, quite funny example:

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming#History](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming#History)

More generally, it is quite difficult (out of chemistry at least) to maintain
names that describe things to the point that you can “reason” about the chosen
symbol. The space is too crowded, etimologies lose their stronghold on meaning
when context is added to words, etc. One person chooses with more or less
foresight the name of something, and from then on it is just inertia, fashion,
and meme evolution that drive names. It is better to not think a lot about why
the name of X is Y, out of curiosity, lest you end up frustrated with how
random it is.

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benj111
Perhaps you're right :sigh:

