Universal construction based on 3D printing electric motors: Steps towards self-replicating robots to transform space exploration

Abstract

Through a recent confluence of technological capacities, self-replicating robots have become a potentially nearterm rather than speculative technology. In a practical sense, self-replicating robots can never become obsolete — the first self- replicating robots will spawn all future generations of robots, subject to deliberate upgrading and/or evolutionary change. Furthermore, this technology promises to revolutionise space exploration by bypassing the apparently-insurmountable problem of high launch costs. We present recent efforts in 3D printing the key robotic components required for any such self- replicating machine.