Self-replication robotics is a curious domain. Unlike, self-reconfigurable robotics, the idea is to utilize an original unit to actively assemble an exact copy of itself from passive components. Greg Chirikjian of John Hopkins University created a self-replicating robot capable of driving around a track and assembling four modules into a robot identical to the original.

Prototype 1 is a remote-controlled robot, consisting of seven subsystems: the left motor, right motor, left wheel, right wheel, micro-controller receiver, manipulator wrist, and passive gripper. This particular implementation is not autonomous. We built it to demonstrate that it is mechanically feasible for one robot to produce a copy of itself. The prototype was made of LEGO parts from LEGO Mindstorm kits.

Why do I blog this? well, would the interactive toys of the future by like that?