Smart Matter
IEEE Spectrum talks about smart matter, which, in fact, is an object with self-organizing particles. It's like seeing a werewolf in science fiction. But all this is real, at least at the research stage.
Microelectronics made it possible to create very tiny computers, thus allowing them to assemble and respond to changes on their own. IEEE considers two options.
One of them is associated with smart particles that use magnets to maneuver in the right direction. Each “claytronic atom” or “catom” uses “local GPS navigation” to determine where it should be in the structure. The task is to develop such a navigation that will allow the particles to assemble into complex structures.
Today, the Carnegie Mellon team developing this approach has managed to create centimeters and catoms that actually work. Now this team is working on reducing the size of a catom to a millimeter using photolithography.
The other approach at MIT consists of smart pebbles, which should use the rules to determine which pebbles should stick together. Pebbles that do not have a task (ie, their place in a complex structure) simply disappear. Imagine a container of such pebbles, in which you can simply lower your hand and pull out the desired object. The complexity of this approach is the transmission of signals between stones - the coordination and coordinates of the "sticking together" of stones.
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At the moment, both approaches exist only in the research version and are not practiced. But with the growth of miniaturization of electronics and mechanical components, one can hope for the appearance of intelligent matter in the near future.
If successful, these technologies will make today's leaders - 3D printers - an outdated technology. At least some models are for sure. Smart material is significantly different from the materials used by the current 3D printers. Having become practically applied, the "pebbles" and catom will become leaders in use. With the help of program instructions, a command is given in which particular object it is necessary to form intelligent matter.
One of the valuable properties of intelligent matter will be a return to its original form. As a result, you will always have an inexhaustible amount of smart matter at hand, which can be returned to its original state upon command.
See you in the future!
Translation of an article from www.fabbaloo.com .
Microelectronics made it possible to create very tiny computers, thus allowing them to assemble and respond to changes on their own. IEEE considers two options.
One of them is associated with smart particles that use magnets to maneuver in the right direction. Each “claytronic atom” or “catom” uses “local GPS navigation” to determine where it should be in the structure. The task is to develop such a navigation that will allow the particles to assemble into complex structures.
Today, the Carnegie Mellon team developing this approach has managed to create centimeters and catoms that actually work. Now this team is working on reducing the size of a catom to a millimeter using photolithography.
The other approach at MIT consists of smart pebbles, which should use the rules to determine which pebbles should stick together. Pebbles that do not have a task (ie, their place in a complex structure) simply disappear. Imagine a container of such pebbles, in which you can simply lower your hand and pull out the desired object. The complexity of this approach is the transmission of signals between stones - the coordination and coordinates of the "sticking together" of stones.
')
At the moment, both approaches exist only in the research version and are not practiced. But with the growth of miniaturization of electronics and mechanical components, one can hope for the appearance of intelligent matter in the near future.
If successful, these technologies will make today's leaders - 3D printers - an outdated technology. At least some models are for sure. Smart material is significantly different from the materials used by the current 3D printers. Having become practically applied, the "pebbles" and catom will become leaders in use. With the help of program instructions, a command is given in which particular object it is necessary to form intelligent matter.
One of the valuable properties of intelligent matter will be a return to its original form. As a result, you will always have an inexhaustible amount of smart matter at hand, which can be returned to its original state upon command.
See you in the future!
Translation of an article from www.fabbaloo.com .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/237249/
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