RepRap has, so far, been capable of making everyday plastic goods such as door handles, sandals and coat hooks. Now, the machine has also succeeded in copying all its own 3D-printed parts. These parts have been printed and assembled by RepRap team member, Vik Olliver, in Auckland, New Zealand, into a new RepRap machine that can replicate the same set of parts for yet another RepRap machine and so on ad infinitum. While 3D printers have been available commercially for about 25 years, RepRap is the first that can essentially print itself.
Prototype Of Machine That Copies Itself Goes On Show
If it can also build a machine that can assemble those parts into the final product, that would be an impressive infinite loop, limited by the source of printing material of course.
Jason Lake, at your service.
