Self-Replication Mechanism by Means of Self-Reconfiguration

Abstract:
Ontogenetic hardware, along with epigenetic (neural) hardware and phylogenetic (evolvable) hardware, are the key representatives of a new hardware conception paradigm known as bio-inspired hardware. Ontogenesis is the process that allows living beings to develop by means of mechanisms as growing, self-replication, and self-repair. During the last few years, such ontogenetic mechanisms have been presented as a solution for the design of complex electronic circuits, with the goal of coping with the increasing complexity envisioned for future nano-technology devices. This paper presents an ontogenetic mechanism that allows a system, implemented in a reconfigurable device, to self-replicate, generating an identical copy of itself, by partially self-reconfiguring the device containing it in a dynamic way.