Nanofabricators (Terra Futura)

Nanofabricators were machines that could manufacture objects on the nanoscale. They were the holy grail of nanotechnology. Like 3D printers before them, nanofabricators revolutionized manufacturing.

Background
Until the second decade of the 21st century, 3D printers were extremely expensive. They were thus limited to certain roles. These roles included industrial prototyping, product design, medical modeling, and architectural models. By 2015, 3D printers were cheap enough to be sold to consumers. These worked by melting nylon powder and then shaping it based on computer instructions. Anything could be made even if they were just models for big plans. Users could download new items and configurations from the web. Artists used this in combination with 3D scanners and modeling software. As time went on, nanotechnology started making its way into 3D printing. Eventually, this would lead to the nanofabricator.

Description
Tech Level: 12

In the late 21st century, nanofabricators were coming into existence. They reproduce a significant amount of items. They were essentially miniature factories. When nanofabricators first came into existence, they were only used by the military, corporations, and doctors. With help from picotechnology, nanofabricators entered the mainstream. Raw materials were sold separately and could be loaded in solid, liquid, or powdered form. The process would take only minutes. New schematics could be downloaded from the Internet. During the 22nd century, femtotechnology started being used in nanofabricators. This would lead to the matter replicator.