machines, tools, and teleoperated mechanisms to permit both production of useful output and reproduction to make more factories.
Figure 1.2 - Comparison of linear and exponentiating (self-replicating) systems in production capability.
Mission IV appears to have generated the most excitement among Workshop participants, in part because it has not yet been extensively studied by NASA (or elsewhere) and the engineering problems are largely unexplored. A number of important issues were raised and concepts defined, and there was a general consensus that virtually every field of automation technology would require further development for the self-replicating factory to become a reality.
Six important robotics and machine intelligence technology categories were identified as most critical by Workshop participants:
- Machine vision capabilities, especially in the areas of depth perception, multispectral analysis, modeling, texture and feature, and human interface
- Multisensor integration, including all nonvision sensing such as force, touch, proximity, ranging, acoustics, electromagnetic wave, chemical, etc.
- Locomotion technology to be used in exploration, extraction processes and beneficiation, with wheeled, tracked, or legged devices under teleoperated or autonomous control
- Manipulators, useful in handling materials both internal and external to the machine, general purpose and special purpose, teleoperated or fully
