Beam me up Scotty: German scientists invent working teleporter, of sorts

New system destructively scans objects transmits them through encrypted communications across any distance and rebuilds it the other side

Star Trek' transport sold the idea of teleportation to the masses, but now German scientists have invented a real-life working system that 'teleports' objects from one location to another using 3D printers.

Teleportation has been the holy grail of transport for decades, ever since Mr Scott first beamed up Captain Kirk and his crew in the 1966 opening episode of Star Trek. Now the technology may have been cracked in real life... sort of.

Scientists from the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam have invented a real-life teleporter system that can scan in an object and "beam it" to another location

Not quite the dematerialisation and reconstruction of science fiction, the system relies on destructive scanning and 3D printing

An object at one end of the system is milled down layer-by-layer, creating a scan per layer which is then transmitted through an encrypted communication to a 3D printer. The printer then replicates the original object layer by layer, effectively teleporting an object from one place to another

"We present a simple self-contained appliance that allows relocating inanimate physical objects across distance," said the six person team in a paper submitted for the Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction conference at Stanford University. "Users place an object into the sender unit, enter the address of a receiver unit, and press the relocate button"

The system dubbed "Scotty" in homage to the Enterprise's much beleaguered chief engineer, differs from previous systems that merely copy physical object as its layer-by-layer deconstruction and encrypted transmission ensures that only one copy of the object exists at any one time, according to the scientists

Real-world applications are pretty short for this kind of destruction and reconstruction. But the encryption, transmission and 3D printing objects could be key for companies wishing to sell goods via home 3D printers, ensuring only one copy could be made per purchase-effectively degital rights management for 3D printed objects

Those looking to cut their commute by simply beaming into the office will have to wait at least another decade or two

looking to cut their commute by simply beaming into the office

ensuring only one copy could be made per purchase-effectively degital rights management for 3D printed objects

could be key for companies wishing to sell goods via home 3D printers

Real-world applications are pretty short for this kind of destruction and reconstruction

ensures that only one copy of the object exists at any one time

encrypted transmission ensures that only one copy of the object exists at any one time

differs from previous systems that merely copy physical object as its layer-by-layer deconstruction

dubbed "Scotty" in homage to the Enterprise's much beleaguered chief engineer

press the relocate button

enter the address of a receiver unit

place an object into the sender unit

submitted for the Tangible, Embedded and Embodied interaction conference at Stanford Universit

across distance

allows relocating inanimate physical objects across distance

present a simple self-contained appliance

present a simple self-contained appliance that allows relocating inanimate physical objects across distance

effectively teleporting an object from one place to another

replicates the original object layer by layer

is then transmitted through an encrypted communication to a 3D printer

is milled down layer-by-layer

An object at one end of the system is milled down layer-by-layer

relies on destructive scanning

not quite the dematerialisation and reconstruction of science fiction

have invented a real-life teleporter system that can scan in an object

may have been cracked in real life

ever since Mr Scott first beamed up Captain Kirk

has been the holy grail of transport for decades

have invented a real-life working system that 'teleports' objects from one location to another using 3D printers

sold the idea of teleportation to the masses

rebuilds it the other side

across any distance

destructively scans objects transmits them through encrypted communications across any distanceand rebuilds it the other side

of sorts

beam me up