A robot that heals itself

Juniper Foo | Jun 06, 2008

Is this how it begins? Somebody builds a robot that self-heals. And Skynet begins. Of course, the prototype droid by the University of Bath which can rebuild itself is a long way from the terrifying liquid metal cyborgs of the Terminator trilogy. While reel is slowly turning into real, the RepRap (short for rapid-prototyper) is still relatively low-tech. Using a technique called "additive fabrication", this puts down thin layers of molten biodegradeable plastic which solidify. The layers are then built up to make 3D objects.

Progress has been made from recreating everyday stuff like sandals and door handles, to replicating parts of itself. The next frontier: A nervous system and brain. The goal here is apparently to create a resilient artificial intelligence that can repair itself in situations where human intervention is difficult. It's all toward a greater purpose, though somehow the phrase "be afraid, be very afraid" keeps popping to mind.

Via Telegraph UK | Picture credit: Fox's Sarah Connor Chronicles

Filed under: Future Tech
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