ABSTRACT
Imagine a device that performs some chemical or physical action in a repetitive, self-sustaining way. Consider the basic requirements for such a device. It needs to take in raw materials, eliminate its waste, transduce the energy it needs, and transport or create a product. An advanced version of the device might seek its own supplies and energy, so it would need mobility and sensory and regulation systems. An even more advanced version would be self-sustaining beyond its component’s lifetimes. It would need to detect and repair its own broken parts, and even perhaps replicate itself, requiring memory, blueprints, and a way to translate blueprints into new component parts.
