A DUTCH FIRM has worked out a way of fabricating items in 3D on the world wide wibble.

The rapid manufacture technology was first seen in fictional form in the flick Iron Man and, according to Shapeways chief executive Peter Weijmarshausen, it is a natural extension of a trend in which people make videos, music, and written works on the Internet.

With the Shapeways service, online designers flip, turn and tinker with virtual designs onscreen.

So far they have created clocks and tools. One model railway hobbyist in the Netherlands re-created his home town in miniature using the service.

Shapeways has built into a library of easy-to-use templates for users to try. One template lets people make candle holders embodying poetry and another is for making fruit bowls. It hopes that this library will expand as punterscome up with more ideas. µ

L'Inq
AFP