# New Robot Can Build Itself
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 18, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377 "2008-08-18T04:24:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/21 "2008-08-19T16:47:00Z")
Cool as the RepRap things are, they are nothing new, CNC millers and lathes have been able to build parts of themselves (and a gazillion other things) for many years already.
To be honest saying that they can replicate themselves is a loooooooong stretch, they can make (bad) quality plastic parts and that’s about it, all the other hardware, motors and electronics come from the store.
Nevertheless, 3d printers are awesome, I saw one as **Erasmus Darwin** described that used powder sugar instead of polymer dust and glue to make candy objects.
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### Author:  [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/22 "2008-08-19T17:36:11Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth]
Intelligent, here, means something on the order of a cockroach,
[/quote]
Once we have a computer as intelligent as a cockroach, is the world going to just decide that a cockroach is intelligent enough?
> [@](#):
>
> and the ability to self-replicate means precisely that: It doesn’t have the programming or the tools to go beyond its original design.
I’m assuming that you don’t know anything about rapid prototyping. The ability to create artifacts from 3D models without needing to use G-code or special tools is a big part of why 3D printers are useful. It doesn’t need special programming or tools to create a different artifact any more than a conventional printer needs special tools to print a picture of a dog instead of a cat.
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/23 "2008-08-19T22:05:12Z")
Well, I plan on providing a valuable service to our new automaton overlords. I’m going to start producing [‘robot porn’](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoqThhEAzN0).
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### Author:  [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/24 "2008-08-19T23:43:48Z")
I’m just glad I’ve already secured my copy of [How To Survive A Robot Uprising](http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-Robot-Uprising-Defending/dp/1582345929/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219189376&sr=8-1) before our new robot overlords ban the book.
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### Author:  [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/25 "2008-08-20T00:19:25Z")
What kind of an idiot would even accept the task of building the first self-building robot, anyway? Congratulations: you just built yourself out of a job, dickweed.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/26 "2008-08-20T04:07:31Z")
[QUOTE=Grumman]
Once we have a computer as intelligent as a cockroach, is the world going to just decide that a cockroach is intelligent enough?
[/quote]
Do you have a solution to the strong AI problem up your sleeve? Maybe an unsung electric poet capable of fully constructing the policeman’s beard?
> [@](#):
>
> I’m assuming that you don’t know anything about rapid prototyping.
I’m a Lisper. Try me.
> [@](#):
>
> The ability to create artifacts from 3D models without needing to use G-code or special tools is a big part of why 3D printers are useful.
Under the control of a human being, yes. That isn’t what we’re talking about here.
> [@](#):
>
> It doesn’t need special programming or tools to create a different artifact any more than a conventional printer needs special tools to print a picture of a dog instead of a cat.
It does need a substantial amount of intelligence to create a useful new design for itself, unless we’re introducing genetics and waiting for prototyping to recapitulate evolution. (That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Create thousands of little dawkins-bots and see whether we can get something the SBC is willing to issue a fatwa against.)
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### Author:  [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-robot-can-build-itself/460377/27 "2008-08-20T05:04:03Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel]
What kind of an idiot would even accept the task of building the first self-building robot, anyway? Congratulations: you just built yourself out of a job, dickweed.
[/QUOTE]
Presumably the kind of idiot that would get paid a metric buttload of money for doing it and then go into retirement thumbing his nose at all the robotics engineers left jobless. 😃
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