Having gone to art school I’m used to eccentricity. Working alongside amazing scientists and engineers I’m also used to the mix of intelligence and quirkiness. Alex Hornstein is eccentric and seems like a really smart guy, but also possesses a dash of maniacal boldness I’ve never quite seen before. When I first chatted with him he explained how he was hacking a very dangerous medical device – and testing the product on himself. Since then I’ve followed his activities which similarly straddle the line between brilliant and crazy.
For his latest adventure, Alex and his partner Bilal Ghalib are driving around the country in a Prius filled with cheap 3D printers (Hooked up to the car’s power supply).
They are using this blog to launch the Pocket Factory project a business that will design, produce, and sell products made on 3D printers (MakerBot Industries was kind enough to donate two).
They’re documenting successes, failures, and pit stops along the way (and 3D printing in road side diners while they’re at it). Their goal is to help people make a living off of their designs by reducing the friction by reducing the steps required to pressing the “print” button.
If you are at all interested in 3D printing and next generation manufacturing check out their blog. Its content is protean, but also practical, and certainly thought provoking. For instance in a few random posts you will read about:
- Using 3D printed parts to cast metal
- A tool kit they are developing to easily model model rocket nose cones
- Surface model capture of 3D objects with photos
- New materials that you can force through a 3D printer
…And a whole lot more. So much writing about 3D printing is about the future possibilities they unlock and how they will transform industries over the coming decades. Alex is actually pushing the boundaries of the industry and trying to hasten the arrival of the future.
