Political Crossfire Forums

[John Galt]

Robot Reproduces

[John Galt]

US robot builds copies of itself

US researchers have devised a simple robot that can make copies of itself from spare parts.

Writing in Nature, the robot's creators say their experiment shows the ability to reproduce is not unique to biology.

Their long-term plan is to design robots made from hundreds or thousands of identical basic modules.

These could repair themselves if parts fail, reconfigure themselves to better perform the task they have been set, or even to make extra helpers.

So far, the robots, if they can be called that, consist of just three or four mobile cubes.

Each unit comes with a small computer code carrying a blueprint for the layout of the robot, electrical contacts to let it communicate with its neighbours, and magnets to let them stick together.

By turning and moving, the cubes can pick up new units, decide where they belong, and stack them alongside each other to make new devices.

In a little more than a minute, a simple three-cube robot can make a copy of itself.

That offspring version can then make further copies. It is only a toy demonstration of the idea, but lead researcher Hod Lipson, of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has bold plans for these intelligent modular machines.

"Space applications clearly come to mind. If you're sending a robot to one of Jupiter's moons, and the robot breaks, then the mission is over," Dr Lipson told the BBC.

"So you would like to have a robotic system that can adapt, or to repair itself, remotely. So that would be one clear application."

Other applications could be down mines or in nuclear facilities. The researchers have previously used aspects of evolution to help them design robots.

Combining this with the biology of self-repair and of replication would make huge changes to the field of robotics.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4538547.stm

[Demonic Spoon]

Holy crap, that is awesome.

[Sid]

Wow, a Von Newton machine, how cool, and yet kinda creepy!

But this is really cool.

[Angela]

why am I not really comfortable with it? :lol:

[Frosty451]

Kind of reminds me of those evil little robots from "SG-1"... the whatca-callits, I can't remember their name.

Yeah, it gives me the shivers too.

edit/ Replicators! That was their name in "SG-1"

[Warmonger]

Interesting... and a little scary.

Skynet, anyone?

[Sid]

I remember something about destroying the earth with von newton machines I heard. I think someone posted multiple ways to destroy the earth in the lounge a while ago.

[THEXRATED]

Angela wrote: why am I not really comfortable with it? :lol:

Grey Goo issue I believe, valid assumption.

[perpetrator]

grey goo?

[Scribbler1]

If this can be done on a more advanced, and much smaller scale I think the problem of designing self-replicating nanobots will be closer to solution.

And I think it IS a little scary, as once something is perfected by scientists it is placed in the hands of idiots.

[kev51pike]

Sid wrote: I remember something about destroying the earth with von newton machines I heard. I think someone posted multiple ways to destroy the earth in the lounge a while ago.

http://ned.ucam.org/~sdh31/misc/destroy.html

It feels so weird to be within walking distance from such an awesome discovery.

[anticlimates]

Oh, I thought it was a story about Republicans. :P

[grim]

Cool. It's only a matter of time until beers can reproduce. :]

[anselfir]

conservation of matter

[StAn]

I think this is scary, soon they will be able to "feel"
and experiance emotion, do we really want this?

[DavidXV]

I think we will be safe if we make these robots stick to making parts, and we don't let them get on the internet.

[anticlimates]

StAn wrote: I think this is scary, soon they will be able to "feel"
and experiance emotion, do we really want this?

Wait......IS it a story about Republicans?

[BTExpress]

It's scary that humans will build machines to replace humans that build machines.

[Davao]

I think we are a long way from skynet or robots developing themselves to combat humans, still, I dont think that Arnold will be able to save us this time around