http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2005/3/18/6589/25369
Basically, the idea is to take a 3d printer, which many industries use already to create small prototypes or emergency machinery parts, and program it to build a copy of itself, and in turn the copy will build copies of itself as well, dropping the price on these machines really fast. Instructions & Code will be published for free online in the next 4 years, assuming it can be done. Really cool stuff!
Basically, the idea is to take a 3d printer, which many industries use already to create small prototypes or emergency machinery parts, and program it to build a copy of itself, and in turn the copy will build copies of itself as well, dropping the price on these machines really fast. Instructions & Code will be published for free online in the next 4 years, assuming it can be done. Really cool stuff!