Second assembly level self replication
This can refer to refers to:
- (1) gem-gum factories that feature self-replicative capability already as low down as the second assembly level
- (2) early foldamer based precursor systems to gem-gum factories that already arrived at self-replicative capabilities without needing to go to a third assembly level
This refers to systems capable of full self-replication that require fully automated assembly including but absolutely not above the second assembly level.
The first assembly level may or may not be replaced by a supply of pre-produced base parts via a system external source. In fact:
- case (1) above has its first assembly level integrated into the self replicating system (the crystiolecule base parts are synthesized internally via mechanosynthesis)
- case (2) above has its first assembly level replaced by an external source (external synthesis of foldamers)
Isn't such self replication still too compact?
Too compact self-replicative capability (and resulting inefficiency, design difficulty and undesirability) is
the reason for why molecular assemblers are no longer pursued.
So isn't self-replication with just one assembly level added still too compact?
Here is why self-replicative capability in just two assembly levels might be sensible
and if not that three assembly levels will almost certainly suffice.
Macroscopic analogy:
Looking at the macroscopic industry as a whole which is (adding human maintenance activity) a self replicating system then when
excluding the manufacturing of computers (we had that in times of the industrial revolution)
(and maybe also excluding the manufacturing of ultra intricate textiles and super humongous cranes too)
most of macroscale manufacturing fits in just two assembly levels (assuming the in this wiki adopted size step of 32 between assembly levels).
Rather than many different size scales in our macroscale industry we rather have
assembly robotics with many different geometries (specialized for their specific task).
Part of the reason for variety may be that current macroscale technology uses many different materials with various stiffnesses.
Maybe less so the case for basic gem-gum factories handling just a few stiff gemstone like base materials.
Especially good amenability for prototyping at the macroscale
Semi compact self replication on the second assembly level is quite amenable to macroscale prototyping.
- Unlike self replication on the first assembly level since there is no macroscopic analog to mechanosynthesis.
- Unlike self replication on the third assembly level since there since robotics becomes huge and expensive ans self weight starts to play an increasingly important role.
Here is a concrete project aiming at that: RepRec pick and place robots
Especially important here is: Applicability of macro 3D printing for nanomachine prototyping
Related
- Self replication -- Self replication#Classification based on base-structure size
- Convergent assembly
