Can a machine build copies of itself?
Strictly speaking, a self-replicating machine is capable of reproducing itself autonomously using raw materials found in the environment. So, like most of the living creatures in nature, such a robot should be able to collect (or be fed) basic components from the environment and build copies of itself.
I did it with LEGO parts.
I made a LEGO self-replicating robot. This robot is capable of building copies of itself out of LEGO bricks, that actually are the very same basic components it is built of. The project was endorsed by the LEGO Group, that provided the elements to complete the exterior of the robot. The inner mechanism is a simplified version of my previous robot that can build small LEGO ducks.
See it live!
This robot was demonstrated at the FIRST Championship 2015, 22-25 April, St. Louis (Missouri).