Posted on 05/24/2014 4:15:56 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s always fun predicting the future. People do it all the time because it is entertaining to imagine a world that we or our children will one day have the chance to experience. We’ve seen fictitious movies do this from time to time since the beginning of film. There was the hoverboard in ‘Back to the Future’, the jet packs in ‘The Rocketeer’, teleportation in Star Trek, and the list goes on. Some of these inventions have already become a reality, while we are still awaiting the arrival of others.
Another Star Trek prediction, was that of the Replicator, which was used to basically 3D print objects, especially food. These have already begun to take shape in current times, in the form of 3D printers. MakerBot even calls their consumer level 3D printer the ‘Replicator’. Sure it may not work the exact same way, but its close enough.
Now, one video game development company, Sledgehammer Games, is trying to predict the future in their upcoming video game. We’re sure that most of you are well aware of the Call of Duty video game series. ‘Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’ is currently scheduled for release this coming Novembmer. In the game, which takes place in the year 2054, Sledgehammer Games will try their hands at predicting the future themselves. One of the more notable futuristic ideas in the game, is that of the 3D-Printer Rifle.
According to gameinformer, the 3D-Printer Rifle will print its own bullets. There is no doubt that Sledgehammer looked at the future and saw the upcoming 3D printing technology as something that will catch on in more aspects than what it is currently being used for. This gun is loaded with a canister of liquid, then ‘racked’ by the player by pulling back on the bolt. Once complete, the gun will begin to 3D print its own bullets. While this is happening, players will be shown the number of bullets that have been printed, on a digital ammo counter.
The 3D-Printer Rifle – according to gameinformer
In today’s world, we are still debating the impact that 3D printing will have on the future of weaponry. Many people worry about the ease in which anyone can, and will be more able, in the future to print out their own guns on 3D printers. This takes the idea a step further, and adds the ability for the gun to print its own ammunition. Wouldn’t that be a scary thing? In today’s society, one thing that provides a little peace of mind, is the fact that bullets can not yet be printed. Perhaps it won’t be long until this is no longer the case.
Discuss this futuristic prediction, and let us know if you think it will ever become a reality, in the ‘Call of Duty – 3D-Printer Rifle’ thread on 3DPB.com
The author
I’ll take a plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.
In 2054, rifles will fire laser-beams.
I imagine it would have to be caseless ammunition with a railgun-style method of propulsion for this concept to make any sense.
You can make glass projectile in any form you want from aquas sodium silicate solution and a little bit of microwave energy. The explosive power can be created by the electrolysis of water creating an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
Give me ten engineers and I can make it work in a week... That would be in 2014...
No kidding. Where’s my damn plasma rifle?
More like 40 megawatts!
/johnny
So when you shoot somebody the bullet will be paper and the bullet hole would also be just paper. NEAT.
Ping.
2054? Must be for military and police. By then, there will be no RKBA. Unless, of course, the nation collapses under democrat rule and right minded folks retake the country.
Or plasmoids.
You think that 3D printers only use paper? Do a keyword search and prepare to be amazed.
It seems like they’re making things unnecessarily complicated. The advantage does not seem worth the likely system failure in a rough/battle field environment.
Political power grows out of the nozzle of a 3-D Printer.
You could instruct the weapon to make special use ammunition on demand. Need a round optimized to penetrate body armor? Give me 10... Need a round to fragment for maximum tissue damage? Give me 5... Need an over-charged round for a long distance shot? Give me 1... And so on and so forth. So now I am carrying the weight of the raw material, but the round I chamber can always be optimized for my next shot...
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