{"id":1402,"date":"2017-04-25T13:39:49","date_gmt":"2017-04-25T13:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/self-replicating-machine\/"},"modified":"2018-09-10T11:22:08","modified_gmt":"2018-09-10T11:22:08","slug":"self-replicating-machine","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine","title":{"rendered":"Self-Replicating Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span id=\"what_does_self-replicating_machine_mean\">What Does Self-Replicating Machine Mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Self-replicating machines are a category of autonomous robot that can make copies or reproduce themselves autonomously with the help of raw materials from the existing environment. The self-replicating machine is based on the concept of self-replication as found in the nature. Further development of the self-replicating machine concept is considered a critical part of many future plans, like the mining of asteroid belts and moons for minerals and ores.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"techopedia_explains_self-replicating_machine\">Techopedia Explains Self-Replicating Machine<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The concept of self-replicating machines has been examined and popularized by Homer Jacobsen, Freeman Dyson and John von Neumann, who worked on the self-replicating machine &quot;universal constructor&quot; that operated in a cellular automata environment. In fact, John von Neumann was the first to study the idea, and replicators also have been called &quot;von Neumann machines.&quot; The concept relies on traditional automation as well as large-scale technology. Some envision them as robots or nanobots that can self-replicate and scavenge the required materials to copy themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Self-replicating machines have a wide range of applications, especially in the field of space exploration. One of the much-discussed applications of self-replicating machines comes in exploration of vast distances in space at a minimal cost. Self-replicating machines can be used as a potential approach for commercializing space, like developing orbital solar arrays. It can also be used in terraforming planets as well as for environmental cleanup.<\/p>\n<p>There are, however, risks that need to be addressed for self-replicating machines. Some of the biggest concerns associated with the concept include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The possibility of self-replicating machines emerging as a challenge to mankind<\/li>\n<li>The use of self-replicating machines as a tool of oppression<\/li>\n<li>Uncontrolled growth and consumption of resources by self-replicating machines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Does Self-Replicating Machine Mean? Self-replicating machines are a category of autonomous robot that can make copies or reproduce themselves autonomously with the help of raw materials from the existing environment. The self-replicating machine is based on the concept of self-replication as found in the nature. Further development of the self-replicating machine concept is considered [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7813,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"definitioncat":[224,256,217],"class_list":["post-1402","definition","type-definition","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","definitioncat-containers-virtualization","definitioncat-emerging-technology","definitioncat-hardware"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is a Self-Replicating Machine? - Definition from Techopedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This definition explains the meaning of Self-Replicating Machine and why it matters.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Self-Replicating Machine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This definition explains the meaning of Self-Replicating Machine and why it matters.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Techopedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techopedia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-09-10T11:22:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@techopedia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Margaret Rouse\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f5dd538e31ee352d105b8af36c4268a5\"},\"headline\":\"Self-Replicating Machine\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-25T13:39:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-10T11:22:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine\"},\"wordCount\":286,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine#respond\"]}],\"articleSection\":\"\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/721\/self-replicating-machine\",\"name\":\"What is a Self-Replicating Machine? 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