Concepts for 3D Printing-Based Self-Replicating Robot Command and Coordination Techniques

Self-replicating robots represent a new area for prospective advancement in robotics. A self-replicating robot can identify when additional robots are needed to solve a problem or meet user needs, and create them in response to this identified need. This allows robotic systems to respond to changing (or non-predicted) mission needs. Being able to modify the physical system component provides an additional tool for optimizing robotic system performance. This paper begins the process of developing a command and coordination system that makes decisions with the consideration of replication, repair, and retooling capabilities. A high-level algorithm is proposed and qualitatively assessed.