Open source personal fabrication device creates first copy of itself

open source universal fabricator

First, what is RepRap?

A universal constructor is a machine that can replicate itself and – in addition – make other industrial products. Such a machine would have a number of interesting characteristics, such as being subject to Darwinian evolution, increasing in number exponentially, and being extremely low-cost.

A rapid prototyper is a machine that can manufacture objects directly (usually, though not necessarily, in plastic) under the control of a computer.

The RepRap project is working towards creating a universal constructor by using rapid prototyping, and then giving the results away free under the GNU General Public Licence to allow other investigators to work on the same idea. We are trying to prove the hypothesis: Rapid prototyping and direct writing technologies are sufficiently versatile to allow them to be used to make a von Neumann Universal Constructor.

The big news is: RepRap has replicated for the first time.

First replication announcement

(via Rose Colored News)

RepRap web site

WorldChanging article on fabbing

Wikipedia entry on fabbing

2 Comments

  1. I, for one, welcome our robotic overlords.

  2. Have fun on the robot reservation.

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