RepRap achieves self-replication

It may seem like I'm making a big deal about nothing...but I can assure you that I'm not. My jaw dropped, and I pumped my fist in the air at my desk when I saw this BoingBoing post: RepRap universal constructor achieves self-replication. Not that I didn't think it would happen...but to see it, to see the post...it's awesome.

I feel strongly that rapid fabrication technologies are the Free Software of ...well, of hardware. Of real stuff. A RepRap (more properly, one of the rapidly evolving descendants) plus information will be making stuff for you in a relatively short time. Things that today you would buy from someone who purchased it from a distributor who has a deal with a wholesaler that ships it by the container-full from China. And your stuff can be customized at manufacture for you; not the kinda-but-not-quite what I wanted that you get from the store. Designs of both items and replicators will be shared, and will evolve. I can't wait.

posted by Ken Kennedy at Jun 4th 2008 7:02 p.m.

Old comments (new comments via Disqus)
  1. Lee commented 2 months, 3 weeks ago

    It is cool, but as a poster pointed out, it is just assembling store bought parts. I see this as a step on the road to self-replication, but this thing can make another of itself without a trip to radio shack by the operator. When it can grab the couch in the break room and use that as ore, it will be self-replicating.

    All that said, this is damn cool. I bet the folks in the "Megatronix" department at Southern Poly are all over this.

  2. Ken commented 2 months, 3 weeks ago

    > It is cool, but as a poster pointed out,
    > it is just assembling store bought parts.

    Incorrect; read the site, not the naysayers *grin*. What it's doing is creating the parts that AREN'T store-bought; the custom pieces that aren't available at J. Random Radio Shack type stores. In fact, it doesn't ASSEMBLE anything; luckily, you're around to do that. It REPLICATES what you can't easily buy.

    That's the key...I don't care that I have to go buy some crap that I can get at Wal-Mart and from 8000 different electronics suppliers via Amazon. The custom software and associated custom pieces are the important parts. Then, not only can I make you your own RepRap, I can make other cool crap with my very own 3D printer. Yeah!

    A good way of putting it from the RepRap site:

    Objection: "But it can't make steel rods, so it's not a true replicator."

    Repsonse: To which the reply is, "You can't make eight essential amino acids, so you aren't a true replicator either." Replicators are constructed from anything useful around them, including parts of other replicators, or parts of those replicator's extended phenotypes. Steel rods are part of humanity's extended phenotype. They also only cost 50 cents each.

 
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