RepRap’s Huxley

Most readers know the the purpose of the RepRap project: to design a machine that can reproduce itself. This hasn’t quite been fully achieved yet, but they’re getting close. But here’s the thing: not only can RepRap almost reproduce, but it also is evolving into different species, each more advanced than the previous. The first species was the original Darwin model, which was followed by the sophisticated Mendel variant. Now we’re reading about the next generation: Huxley. 

 

Huxley will exist side-by-side with Mendel, which evidently will continue to evolve into a “multi-material machine” (which we’ve seen some evidence of already). Meanwhile, Huxley will have single material build function but the team plans to “add a pen plotter so we can write etch-resist on PCBs and use an oil pen to facilitate separation of support material for overhangs”.

 

The design of Huxley continues to reduce the amount of material required, thus increasing the reproductive rate substantially. How do you get one? When it’s ready, you simply print the parts on your Mendel and get to it! 

 

Via RepRap and RepRap