Meet RepRap - the 3D printer that can print out copies of itself.

RepRap is a free desktop 3D printer made largely out of parts that can be printed using a RepRap printer. The 3D printer is designed to be a self-replicating machine that allows people to print off RepRaps for their friends and family to use.

The RepRap can print out more than half of its own parts and most other parts, such as nuts and bolts, can be bought from hardware stores. It costs about £300 to print a RepRap, compared to a commercial 3D printer which would cost about three times as much to buy.

The RepRap community makes all the designs for printer parts and software to run the printer freely available online.

Members of the community also share designs for items they have printed out using RepRap - ranging from shoes to plates.

There are several varieties of RepRap 3D printers. This is the Mendel machine, named after the Austrian friar Gregor Mendel who is credited with kick-starting the field of genetics.

Caption: Nick Heath, Silicon.com

Photo: The RepRap Project