Robot-assisted 3D printer aids march of the machines
The Bedford, Massachusetts, firm has filed a US patent on a way to rid 3D printers of the need for pesky humans, allowing robots to do all the post-printing work to make a complete product.
Enter iRobot's do-it-all robotic fabricator, comprising a twin-armed robot allied with a 3D printer, a milling machine and a drill, all on one platform. The platform is peppered with sensors so that a computer can choreograph all stages of manufacture, using the additive technique of 3D printing or the subtractive ones of milling and drilling, as needed. Both robot arms have dextrous grippers with six degrees of freedom, so one can hold a newly 3D-printed piece while the other secures another piece to it with glue, connectors or fasteners.
See the full story here: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2013/01/irobots-3d-printer-patent.html