History Main / MatterReplicator

* ''PowerRangersInSpace'': The Astro Megaship's Synth-o-tron.

* ''{{Homeworld}}'', Used to justify the RidiculouslyFastConstruction seen in the games, described in surprising detail in the fluff.

* ''{{CthulhuTech}}'' makes mention of nanofactories, devices that are used both in the industrial and consumer sector, that utilize specific matter codes to construct new things.

Matter. It's the stuff things are made of. You're made of matter. Your computer is made of matter. This very wiki is made of matter (well, the servers it's stored on are, anyway).

* ''ThePrestige'', Tesla's attempt to create a teleporter creates one of these instead; there is no explanation given for where the matter it uses to create its duplicates comes from, but in a rare event, the device is capable of copying an entire human being perfectly [[spoiler: [[CloningBlues to the point that Angier, who kills his duplicates as part of his magic act, isn't entirely sure if he's not a duplicate himself]]]].

* ''Literature/TroyRising'' "fabbers", much like their ''SchlockMercenary'' counterparts, can build just about anything you want very quickly as long as you've got the raw materials. Much like the Schlock Verse, the crushed remains of enemy ships are frequently fed in as the raw materials in question.

* ''SchlockMercenary'' The fabber is an odd case of a MatterReplicator that uses mechanical labor. Full-scale fabbers have arrays of tools capable of building things as large as starships or as fine as [[spoiler:bodies with blank brains.]] Smaller units use Nanotechnology instead of human sized robots seen in the very large fabber facilities.

* ''{{Farscape}}'' had an episode where a villain used a wrist mounted version to "twin" people.

* The advent of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing 3D printing]] has brought this trope incredibly close to reality. There are even 3D printers that are designed to be built by other 3D printers.
** Well, 3D printer shells. Specialized parts still need to be bought separately, and you need to put the whole thing together by hand.
** Also, this is no where near being "incredibly close" to replicator technology.

* ''TroyRising'' "fabbers" much like their SchlockMercenary counterparts, can build just about anything you want very quickly as long as you've got the raw materials. Much like the Schlock Verse, the crushed remains of enemy ships are frequently fed in as the raw materials in question.

* In ''FullmetalAlchemist'', Alchemists are basically walking {{Matter Replicator}}s. While most Alchemists specialize in a particular kind of transformation, it's implied that with the right [[FunctionalMagic transmutation circle]], an Alchemist can do practically anything...except, of course, resurrect the dead. Seriously, [[CameBackWrong it's a]] [[DealWithTheDevil bad idea]] [[BodyHorror to even]] [[CursedWithAwesome try it.]]

* Tesla's attempt to create a teleporter in ''ThePrestige'' creates one of these instead; there is no explanation given for where the matter it uses to create its duplicates comes from, but in a rare event, the device is capable of copying an entire human being perfectly [[spoiler: [[CloningBlues to the point that Angier, who kills his duplicates as part of his magic act, isn't entirely sure if he's not a duplicate himself]]]].
* Robbie the Robot from ''ForbiddenPlanet'' has a replicator built in to his body, able to reproduce anything he's given a sample of. One of the crew quickly takes advantage of this and turns him into the world's fastest distillery.

* RobertHeinlein's ''Future History'' timeline included a "Universal Pantograph" which could duplicate objects. It's mentioned in ''Time Enough For Love''.
* In the ''VorkosiganSaga'' there are replicators for organic material, but it's implied that traditional manufacturing is easier for metals.
* WilliamGibson's ''All Tomorrow's Parties'' has the Nanofax machine, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin which transmits copies of]] ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin anything]]''.
* ''TheDiamondAge'' by NealStephenson pretty much revolves around this trope.
* In Wil [=McCarthy=]'s ''The Queendom of Sol'' series, fax machines can print copies of almost any object, as long as enough raw materials are on hand. These devices are a relatively rare example in that they can also print copies of people -- potentially multiple copies, which factors into the setting's society and laws. Combined with a solar-system-wide computer network, the faxes are effectively a form of [[TeleportersAndTransporters transport]], medical facility, factory, and glorified refrigerator all rolled into one. They are also one of the few valuable objects in the setting's economy, as the print plate of a fax machine is one of the very few things that another fax cannot produce.
* This technology is commonplace in TheCulture of Iain M. Banks's novels. The protagonist of ''TheCulture/UseOfWeapons'' complains when he asks a ship Mind for some rubbish to shoot at, and is instead given a block of ice. The Mind explains that it doesn't have rubbish - just "matter that's currently in use, and matter that's available to be recycled and used for something else."
* ''TroyRising'': "fabbers" much like their SchlockMercenary counterparts, can build just about anything you want very quickly as long as you've got the raw materials. Much like the Schlock Verse, the crushed remains of enemy ships are frequently fed in as the raw materials in question.

** In DeepSpace9 we get told about Industrial Replicators that are being sent to the Cardasians. By inference these are the industrial complexes to the cottage industry of the shipboard replicators as a small number of these is the Federation's answer to rebuilding Cardasia Prime.

* In the ''TwilightZone'' episode "Valley of the Shadow", the inhabitants of the titular valley have advanced technology including a machine that can create any solid object based on its molecular pattern.
* The more advanced races of the ''{{Stargate}}'' [[TheVerse verse]] have them, but they don't show up very often. The final episode makes the logical point that [[TeleportersAndTransporters Teleporter]]=(MatterReplicator + Radio), so if you have one you have the other.
* The ''RedDwarf'' episode "Demons and Angels" features a matter replicator, with a caveat: all the virtues of the replicated object go into one copy, all the evils into another.

* The ultimate superscience technology in ''{{GURPS}}: Ultra-Tech''. They're balanced by truly massive power demands that require "cosmic" energy sources to be economical.

* SystemShock and BioShock got vending machines that act like this.
* Used to justify the RidiculouslyFastConstruction seen in the ''{{Homeworld}}'' games, described in surprising detail in the fluff.
* FalloutNewVegas utilises this in the form of the Sierra Madre Vending Machines. They can turn casino chips into other things like ammo, food and medicine. These chips are made from just plain scrap metal and some form of fissionable material, if the crafting window is to be believed.
* The Universal Constructors from ''DeusEx''.

* The fabber in ''SchlockMercenary'' is an odd case of a MatterReplicator that uses mechanical labor. Full-scale fabbers have arrays of tools capable of building things as large as starships or as fine as [[spoiler:bodies with blank brains.]]
* In AMiracleOfScience Mars gives most of the major nations of the Sol system "Autofacs" that can produce nearly anything from basic raw materials. Martians themselves can use the NanoMachines in their bodies to alter physical objects and most of their buildings are made of "smart matter" that can rearrange itself at will.

-->"Make sure the replicators provide every person with a blanket and food before nightfall."
-->-- Captain Jean Luc Picard, Star Trek.

[[AC: RealLife]]
* The advent of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing 3D printing]] has brought this trope incredibly close to reality. There are even 3D printers that are designed to be built by other 3D printers.
** Well, 3D printer shells. Specialized parts still need to be bought separately, and you need to put the whole thing together by hand.
* Claytronics, an emerging nanotechnology centering on tiny computerized "atoms" working together in tandem to construct larger objects.

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* In ''FullmetalAlchemist'', Alchemists are basically walking {{Matter Replicator}}s. While most Alchemists specialize in a particular kind of transformation, it's implied that with the right [[FunctionalMagic transmutation circle]], an Alchemist can do practically anything...except, of course, resurrect the dead. Seriously, [[CameBackWrong it's a bad idea to even try it.]]

* Robbie the Robot from ''ForbiddenPlanet'' has a replicator built-in to his body, able to reproduce anything he's given a sample of. One of the crew quickly takes advantage of this and turns him into the world's fastest distillery.

"Make sure the replicators provide every person with a blanket and food before nightfall."

* ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'' has these, which all seem to come with an AI. They mostly spend their time producing drugs. For themselves.

Note that the name "MatterReplicator" is itself somewhat misleading; it's rare to find one that can actually make something out of nothing (the one law of thermodynamics that usually can't be broken without breaking WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief as well). A MatterReplicator uses ''pre-existing'' matter to replicate something else, or perhaps even construct something entirely new. Creations made of HardLight need not apply here. But {{Nanomachines}} often do.

* The more advanced races of the ''{{Stargate}}'' [[TheVerse verse]] have them, but they don't show up very often.