Self replication
Self replication is of interest for attempts to attain atomically precise manufacturing (APM) because it is one of the methods that allows for massively parallel assembly.
Putting together an macroscopic object (consising out of some 1023 atoms) almost atom by atom is a goal of AP Technology. It would take unfathomable amounts of time if it where done with only one robotic device. Massively parallel assembly is thus a necessity.
Contents
Classification based on base-structur size
Exponential assembly
Exponential assembly is a method of structural copying with exponential speedup.
It has the following defining traits:
- The un-assembled robotic units must be massively parallel pre-produced without self replication. (photo lithograpy/self assembly)
- The robotic units must be complex enough to fulfill their task
- All robotic units must share a part of the movement mechanism and their hole control system.
Such systems could be used to assemble smaller systems of the same exponential assembly design but possibly (and probably) of very different structure. Maybe: top level: MEMS system; bottom level: structural DNA nanotechnology.
This method is claimed to not be true self replication since the units on their own lack functional completeness and the posible range of structural replication is thus limited to the size of the topmost assembly level.
Note: Do not mix this up with convergent assembly. Convergent assembly in contrast:
- works the other way around (bottom-up)
- is used for product production not technology attainment
- has potentially more layers in the mesoscale that only differ in size.
Block based self replication
standard blocks ....
Diamondoid self replication
General
For the attainment of technology level I either exponential assembly or block based self replication will be needed.
It was believed that self replication is impossible to circumvent [Todo: add concise explanation - necessity and perception]
For a more broad definition of self replication there is already a lot of literature to consult:
Wikipedia: Self-replicating_machine;
The "Bunny Book": Kinematic_Self-Replicating_Machines;
In general: Self-replication
