**The World Technology Network (WTN) X PRIZE Suggestion**--Suggested Name of Challenge (i.e. WTN X PRIZE for ****)--WTN X Prize for 'The Creator Unit (TCU)' or: 'building a replicator' style of name.
--Brief Description of Suggested Challenge (No more than 600 words please)--The Challenge is to build a working prototype of a machine capable of building material structures, which can be handled by a human being, like a cup, spoon or food. Every kind of product should be feasible and the machine shouldn't be larger that an oven.
It could utilize the following products:
* The Hypercomputer [1] (FPGA technology)
* Atom Lasers [2] (!)
* It should run on some kind of clean energy like Fusion Energy.
* It would be of great help for all candidates to use the intellectual structure of A New Kind of Science of Stephen Wolfram [3] (it is almost impossible to create this kind of machine with Old Kind of Science like Calculus).
* It would be greatly appreciated if the digital moulds of the products would be under a Creative Commons type license [4] so that every human has access to it.
The goal is that every human being is capable of creating clothing, food, books etc. ...Creating everything his/her imagination comes up with. There by eliminating complete poverty on this planet in 2050 so Mankind guarantees itself a sustainable future on this planet.
[1] Star Bridge Systems
[2]
Ketterle Group &
Atom Lasers[3] [
www.wolframscience.com]
[4] [
creativecommons.org]
--Suggested Potential Rules--To win: A working prototype before 2020. It needs to create three different types of products which should be visible with the naked eye.
The types are:
* Food (for example: a type of vegetable)
* Hard matter (like wood)
* A liquid (like water)
Some requirements:
* The machine shouldn't be larger than a standard household oven.
* Its energy intake should be as low as possible (using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips [1] would be a good start). Not using more than 2500 Watt per construction.
* The Interface of the machine itself must be as simple as possible so that a 4 year old child is able to create something (a drink, medication) with it.
* Voice input [2] and maybe an holographic interface [3] is necessary. Standard keys only get dirty and holographic buttons and keys don’t wear out. The first team with an intelligent interface gets a bonus.
After 2020 there will be, every year, a contest where these type of machines will be pitted against each other (not limited to an household configuration) and should be able to create products in hostile environments like extreme hot (dessert) or cold (Arctic) conditions paving the way for machines which could operate in space.
[1] [
www.xilinx.com]
[2] [
www.cyc.com]
[3] [
www.io2technology.com]
--Suggested Time Life of the Award (how long given to win?)--15 years
--How Many Companies to Compete?--Unlimited
--Suggested Prize Amount--$25 million
--Suggested Funding Mechanism (ideas for the best way and/or the sources to raise the money to pay off the winner of the challenge competition)--The required starting capital lays around 400,000 Euros. Finance itself could rely on Sponsors or Venture Capitalists (like Scaled, winner of the ANSARI X-Prize) [1].
It is in the spirit of High Noon [2].
[1] [
www.scaled.com]
[2]
Twenty Global Issues, Twenty Years to Solve Them--My Company/I Would Be Willing to Support This Prize--If yes: $100,000 (for 'one person only' starting capital would lay around 150,000 Euros [1] but would be the bare minimum)
--My Company/I Would Be Willing to Contribute Now Towards the Operating Expenses of the WTN X PRIZE Initiative--If Yes: $100,000 (this will be increased)
--How Did You Hear About the WTN X PRIZE?--Via the Ansari X-Prize site.
***This could be needed***- One Cyc [1] for the intelligent interface (the Open Source version of Cyc [2] costs 0.- Euro).
- One Linux operating system like Mandrakelinux [3] (the free version [4]) costs 0.- Euro.
- One Hypercomputer (The HC-36 [5] costs 135,000 Euros).
- One Mathematica 5 [6] costs 1,500 Euros
- And a computer (a good one around 3000 Euros).
This setup would be great for implementing the New Kind of Science rules to start modelling and run simulations. Later on (lets say 5 or 8 years) atom lasers could be utilized, which are still rudimentary [7], so that creating an material object with this kind of technology becomes possible.
Total starting costs: 139,500 Euros.
[1] [
www.cyc.com]
[2] [
www.opencyc.org]
[3] [
www.mageia.org]
[4] [
ftp.nluug.nl]
[5] [
web.archive.org] ( Starbridgesystems, 2005 )
[6] [
www.wolfram.com]
[7] [
bazaarmodel.net] 2017 (outdated: [
newton.ex.ac.uk] )