9.2. Taking the Recipe Concept Even Further

What other things can we send the recipe for instead of the object?

One solution is in the advances made by rapid prototyping machines. We already have the ability to print books at the source, instead of at a central printing facility (think downloadable PDF and ink jet printer). Why not do the same with furniture, dishes, machine parts, and other products? Rapid prototyping processes (and the machines that employ them) already do this for some applications (such as prototypes). Currently, these machines are limited in what they can produce, and the cost of the finished object is much more expensive than other forms of production. However, as the price falls for both machines and materials, at some point these devices will be affordable for people to have in their homes (or at a local site).