Android duplicator The android duplicator was a specialized piece of machinery discovered by Roger Korby in the underground caverns of Exo III around 2261 . Design . Control of the duplicator was accomplished from a complex control panel , with precision controls that were color - coded but not otherwise labeled . This control center was located in a room adjacent to the duplicator itself . The duplicator consisted of a large turntable that had slotted positions on either side of the turntable for the " blank " and " template " - being , both separated by a divider , and both with a locking mechanism placed mid - torso . On either side , paralleling the turntable , were two electronic components that were physically responsible for the duplication . Use . The android duplication involved two major stages in the process . The initial stage started with a placement of " blank " and a living being that served as the new android ' s " template " . The mechanism could create a physically exact duplicate of that being , including synthetic organ s whose autonomic rhythms matched those of the template . This process required that the naked original and " blank " be loaded onto the turntable . While this platform spun at increasing increments of speed , the machine formed the blank into the android duplicate . At the conclusion of this process , the duplicate was only physically identical . No physical harm came to the " template " - being . In the second stage , synaptic fusion , copied the target ' s thoughts and memories in the android . This stage also did not harm the original , but it was at least somewhat painful . History . The android duplicator was constructed centuries prior by the , the race that once lived in the planet ' s caverns , and was tended to for untold years by the android Ruk . With Ruk ' s help , and with records discovered by Korby , they were able to built . According to , he was constructed because the original Korby " " had only [ his ] brain between life and death . " " It was also in this time frame that the android Andrea was also constructed , without an apparent source . In the duplication process performed on James T . Kirk in 2266 , he was able to interfere with the outcome of this stage by keeping an atypical thought in the forefront of his mind . Subsequently , the android responded to a comment from Spock with this thought , apparently without realizing it was something Kirk would not normally say . It was revealed that during Korby ' s duplication of himself , he had completely transferred his mind into it . Although the Korby android believed itself to be Korby , outsiders such as Kirk and Christine Chapel noted that its behavior was aberrant . Ultimately , Korby and all of the other androids were destroyed , leaving open the questions of when Korby actually died , and whether the Korby android was really Korby , or simply a machine convinced that it was Korby . ( ) Background information . The " android duplicator " was not identified by name in the episode , other than Korby ' s roundabout line about Ruk " still tending the machinery " , or when the device was simply introduced as " this is how you make an android . " Despite the lengthy description of the device in the script notes , emphasizing on the turntable , mention was made of the " " squat " dynamo duplicators " at each end of the table glow and throb with power as Kirk ' s form and the mold form alternately pass . " "