Future Science Preserves Past Scientific Triumphs

We here at SP have no particular affinity for any one time sphere or any one eventuality, but hold dear all eventualities and the triumphs of science in all points in space time. Because of this respect for all scientific victories, advancements, and ventures, it is always a pleasure to show a mixing of the old and new. As most seekers are unable to move through spacetime at will, much less manipulate eventualities to coax desired outcomes, it is often difficult for the successes of the past to be preserved into the future.

Believe it or not, someone who has a firsthand knowledge of this decay of greatness far too extensive to imagine is one Jay Leno, who has given his life to preserve some of the most crowning achievements in automotive technology from past generations. His vast array of collected automotive transports includes Maseratis, Lamborghinis, and Ferraris, but some of the most brilliant jewels are the ones that would be all but forgotten without his vigil. The Stanley Steamers, the Duesenbergs, and the Morgans. Now future science has made this vigil easier to maintain, and the same science may make movie prop replica creators giggle with delight also.

Popular Mechanics brings us this month a glimpse into the complications of attempting to savor and resurrect classic motorcars, and a new tool to alleviate some of those complications. The goal of the tool itself is not new, but the portability and affordability are. Its a new 3D Scanner from NextEngine, allowing anyone to scan anything they wish, provided that it will fit into the scanning array, and produce a 3D model with 1 million points in a couple of minutes. Jay Leno can use this new tool to create auto parts that have not been produced since the turn of the century, and as a matter of fact, does. This tech is also invaluable to video game developers, 3D artists involved in film making, or anyone who wants to reproduce an item with stunning accuracy in a 3D environment. Once the 3D model has been created, it can be imported into a vast number of applications, including being printed, again, in 3D. The "printer" that was used in the demo at Jay Leno's garage was a marvel in itself, as it uses plastic filament strategically injected into points to recreate the model. This is amazing in itself, but when you find out that it can produce fully functioning 3D plastic recreations of almost any object, and without assembly, your MYND will surely blow. Think about making a wrench (again, as seen in the embedded video). Typically you would have to produce the handle and the smaller clamping end separately, as the cogs and tiny parts could never be created assembled. Not the case with Dimension's 3D printer, scan the wrench with the scanner, import the model into the printer, and out pops a fully functioning wrench.

We salute NextEngine, Dimension, Popular Mechanics, and Jay Leno for their hunger to find new solutions to problems once thought to be insurmountable. Not to mention that it could really save Adam Savage some time in making 3D Maltese Falcons.