RepRap creates the Cylon precursor
Sometimes life imitates Art and sometimes it imitates Science Fiction. This is one of those later times. Anyone familiar with Battle Star Galactica knows that the Cylons are self replicating robots. Now an open source group has created a robot machine that recreates itself and anything else for which you can find blue prints.
RepRap is the name of both the robot and the group that created it. RepRap actually stands for REPlicating RAPid-prototyper. The machine is actually a 3D printer that is capable of making components by layering plastic in predefined forms.
Rather than having the printers we have today, we will have printers that can print actual three dimensional objects sitting right on our desks. Creating missing pieces or recreating broken parts will be fairly easy.
The RepRap has already recreated itself and that recreation has once again created itself. Hence, the Cylon reference. At the moment the RepRap is incapable of actually thinking, much less wanting to take over the world, but still….blend advanced discoveries in neural processing adapted to computers and self replication and it won’t be too long before we freak ourselves out.
Still the inventors of this prototype will be giving away the plans for this machine for free. Rather than spending the 30,000 Euros ($46,681) it would cost to buy a commercial replicating machine, you can take the free plans and build your own for about 400 Euros ($622).
The RepRap team are using the free software movement as a template for the distribution of the RepRap. The machine plans are being distributed under the GNU General Public License in the same way that open source software such as OpenOffice is distributed.
So far the team has created not only replacement parts for the RepRap itself, but also items as diverse as childrens sandals and martini glasses. The RepRap can also create gears and parts for other projects such as door handles, coat hooks, bed corner and diagonal studding brackets.
The possibilities for this machine are limited only by the imagination. Hopefully that imagination won’t belong to a Cylon.
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