Programmable matter is matter which has the ability to change its physical properties (shape, density, moduli, conductivity, optical properties, etc.) in a programmable fashion based upon user or automated input.
Applications[]
In terms of scale, robotic materials use sensors, actuators, computation, reconfigurable by particle motion, and are in the centimeter size range. In the micrometer to sub-millimeter range examples include MEMS-based units, cells created using synthetic biology, and the utility fog. At the nanoscale end there are shape changing molecules and quantum dots (artificial atoms).
Metamaterials[]
Metamaterials are artificial composites that can be controlled to react in ways that do not occur in nature. For example, a material that can have its index of refraction tuned so that it can have a different index of refraction at different points in the material, could result in an invisibility cloak.
Shape-changing molecules[]
Molecules that can change their shape, as well as other properties, in response to external stimuli. This was used in later versions of the Terminator.
Electropermanent magnets[]
They allow creating controllable permanent magnets where the magnetic effect can be maintained without requiring a continuous supply of electrical energy. These programmable magnets can give rise to self-building structures.
Self-reconfiguring modular robotics[]
SRCMR is a field of robotics in which a group of basic robot modules work together to dynamically form shapes and create behaviours suitable for many tasks, similar to programmable matter. This is important early technology for self-replicating systems.
Claytronics[]
This concerns reconfigurable nanoscale robots ('claytronic atoms', or catoms) designed to form much larger scale machines or mechanisms. The catoms will be sub-millimeter computers that will eventually have the ability to move around, communicate with other computers, change color, and electrostatically connect to other catoms to form different shapes.
Future[]
- Furniture will change its height and width dimensions depending on the situation
- Living room sofas, tables, and kitchen countertops will dissolve and turn into more appealing versions of themselves based on downloaded blueprints
- Walls in your house automatically change color
- Vehicles automatically change color, change their body shapes, and repair themselves when dented
- Creation of an invisibility cloak
- Ability to construct an entire city in only a few minutes
See also: