Tuesday 7 June 2011

Programmable Matter

The future is going to be great. We'll have many things we can't even dream of but there are many things we can. One of those is programmable matter and one place they are researching this is at Carnegie Mellon University in America. Programmable matter will be an object that can change its form into anything it chooses by rearranging its constituent components (very simple small robots). They call it Claytronics. For now the problem is still in its early stages and researchers are still dealing with how to reconfigure modules of a robot on a larger scale. The aim however is to scale it down to the nano-scale where each robot is nearly as small as an atom. The robots then work together to replicate an object and can turn into whatever you choose. Maybe you don't like how your table looks today, well then just redesign it on the fly.

The idea can be extended passed just solid objects, it could extend to working devices too. An interesting device to have in the future would be a do-all gadget, a gadget that can turn into anything – this may be harder to achieve and need advancement in other sciences but I think it's attainable. Think of the iPhone 56 – one minute you are using it to make a phone call, the next shooting away, pumping lead into a T-1000. Well maybe not, Apple probably won't let that app through the appstore.

Here's a cheesy concept video that was made to portray what the future may be like with Claytronics. However, I'm sure your imagination can envision it much better.


8 comments:

  1. My god man, thats mind blowing

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds pretty mind blowing, the the idea that someone could turn a crutch or cane into a shot gun or rifle is pretty terrifying

    ReplyDelete
  3. good video and nice blog, following you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Technology is growing at exponential rates... It is possible in a few years ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's pretty amazing, In 10 years I can't imagine what we will have.

    +follow http://ellectrics.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. we would be able to create life this way. Make little clay people at touch of our hands.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBGGAjMg9vw

    ReplyDelete