Universal Constructor

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Von Neumann Universal Constructor. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Universal Assembler. (Discuss)

A Universal Constructor is a machine which within some physical or abstract environment is able to construct all environmentally possible constructions. The notion originated with John von Neumann, a general principle derived from his work to solve the problem of self-replication. It now has wide application to emerging technologies. For example, the concept constitutes the primary motivation for current developments in rapid prototyping. [ref: NASA, etc.]

The notion of universal construction is hampered in the face of garden of eden configurations. Hence, not all possible configurations are constructible, though any that are constructible are constructible by a universal constructor. As with universal computation, a strange loop is involved.

Examples of such machines do not exist, except as mathematical abstractions.

Von Neumann's explication of a universal constructor were developed in 1951. See Von Neumann Universal Constructor.

In 1968, Edgar F. Codd devised an 8-state 5-neighbor cellular automaton that he showed to be a universal computer-constructor.

In 1973, John Devore modified Codd's work and reduced the size of the self-reproducing machine.