RepRap is the opensource Replicating Rapid Prototyping 3d printer - an opensource effort to make a 3d printer that can print most of its own parts (the final goal being all of its own parts, including assembling the PCBs)

http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome



They call the first model Darwin, and you can freely download the specs, make one yourself by hand and then get it to print another one and you can give the copy to a friend. If any updates to the design come along, you can melt down the parts of an old model and get your friend to print you the design revisions.

http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/RepRapOneDarwin

The name darwin is purposly inspiring, as just this week Poli, Langdon and McPhee have launched their free (as in beer) "Field Guide to Genetic Programming" under the creative commons.

http://www.lulu.com/content/2167025

This is the science of writing programs that can simulate a process, and automatically improve on it. (or if the program is the process the program is capable of improving itself.)

Perhaps by doing finite element analysis of the RepRap in operation, and then letting the successful, efficient and robust designs breed and evolve, we won't need to wait for a human designer to create updates, hey?