We may not yet have flying automobiles, but the latest demo at the International Manufacturing Technology Show proves that we at least have one leg in the future with the world’s first 3D-printed car.
Yes, it’s a real car. Yes, it’s the size of an actual car. And yes, it’s driveable—or at least it will be by the time the week-long trade show concludes in Chicago on Saturday.
The car’s makers, Local Motors, hope to drive their creation off the showroom floor after publicly printing and assembling its parts over the week.
While the average car contains over 20,000 parts, the printable version, called the Strati, has only 40. The manufacturer, which teamed up with engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to create the car’s design, estimates the total printing time should be 44 hours, followed by two days of assembly.
Not bad for a foray into the future, right? Watch the demo below.