Can robot or a device be made that, given the requisite resources, could construct and assemble a functional copy of itself?

To entertain this hypothesis further, let’s add a set of explicit constraints or expectations:

  1. The copy must structurally match the original device as is realistically possible
  2. The device must be able to manufacture at least one copy of itself
  3. The overall replication process should sustain itself for an indefinite amount of iterations
  4. The device must not repurpose its own parts as parts for its copy
  5. The device must not peform any task other than replicating itself and preserving itself to be able to replicate
  6. The device may sustain damages of repairable or non-repairable nature as long as it obeys constraints 1 and 2
  7. The device may take as much time and resources as it needs to construct its copy as long as both remain finite
  8. The device may make use of essential external resources like electricity and cooling to sustain itself as long as its able to accommodate its copy to do the same

Can reproduction be emulated mechanically while obeying all the constraints above or is there a fundamental limitation stopping us from realising this concept? If so, what is it?

  • KaJashey@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    3 days ago

    The RepRap project sorta hit some of your points. It was more about establishing and spreading 3D printers. Evangelizing them. One printer would print all the plastic parts for to make another 3d printer. This could then be given away or sold. Things like screws, rods, motors, and controllers were “vitamins” that need to be added to make the printer. Obviously people were doing the assembly not the printers. They also violated your rule #5 because they could do tasks besides replicating.

    My second printer was a Prusa MK3S+. It’s heritage came out of RepRap and a lot of its parts were 3d printed.