Robopocalypse: iRobot files patent for machine that 3D prints autonomously (IRBT)

The stock is trading at $23.51, off a couple pennies on the day and up 15% since we visited them a few weeks ago.

From DVICE:

One of the most interesting science fiction apocalypse scenarios involves the rise of "grey goo," an enormous blob of nanotech-powered self-replicating robots that slowly consume the planet. Thankfully, we're far off from needing to even consider such a situation, but a new patent application from iRobot hints that a smaller scale version of such a scenario could indeed play out in the years to come.

The patent is for a mechanism called a "Robot Fabricator," a device that would allow robots to autonomously construct a wide range of products, from design to final 3D fabrication and assembly, all without any direct human involvement. If one were to take notion of such a device to its extreme and couple it with the open source 3D-printed robots we know are already being made, it's not difficult to envision a robot that creates robots operating in the not-too-distant future....MORE

And here I thought the big iRobot news was last week's: "iRobot Shares Spike; Gets FDA Approval On Hospital Robot".

Recently:

The Doctor's Robot Will See You Now (IRBT) 

Fire the Pool Boy: iRobot Unveils Swimming Pool Cleaning Robot (IRBT)

On convergence, last August's "Credit Suisse on Robotics, Automation, 3-D etc. (EMR; ROK; SI)":

....Two emerging themes we see are convergence, and 3-D printing. We anticipate accelerated convergence on both a vertical (automation vendors offer a broad range of controls and software products, as well as hardware), and horizontal basis (a gradual merging of discrete and process markets), with mergers and acquisitions playing a key role....  

is looking prescient.

See also:
Convergence: "This 3D-Printed Exoskeleton Could One Day Turn You Into a Cyborg"
Here Comes Another Asteroid Mining, 3D Printing, Robotic, Start-up