Sunday, February 15, 2009

A self-reproducing machine

More than 50 years ago, computer pioneer John von Neumann conceived of a self-reproducing machine. RepRap (short for “replicating rapid-prototyper”) doesn’t harvest its own materials, but it’s entirely real. For about US $725 in parts, this self-reproducing machine, spawned by a global band of engineers and hobbyists, will squirt out complex three-dimensional patterns of molten plastic filaments that will solidify into most, if not all, of the mechanical parts for another RepRap.

Source

RepRap Research Foundation

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