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Robotics

Self-reproducing machines

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A set of modular robot cubes accomplish a feat fundamental to biological systems.

Abstract

Self-reproduction is central to biological life for long-term sustainability and evolutionary adaptation. Although these traits would also be desirable in many engineered systems, the principles of self-reproduction have not been exploited in machine design1. Here we create simple machines that act as autonomous modular robots and are capable of physical self-reproduction using a set of cubes.

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Figure 1: Self-reproduction of a four-module robot.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Victor Zykov & Hod Lipson

  2. Department Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Efstathios Mytilinaios

  3. Department of Mathematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Bryant Adams

  4. Department of Computing & Information Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Hod Lipson

Authors
  1. Victor Zykov
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  2. Efstathios Mytilinaios
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  3. Bryant Adams
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  4. Hod Lipson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hod Lipson.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Zykov, V., Mytilinaios, E., Adams, B. et al. Self-reproducing machines. Nature 435, 163–164 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/435163a

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