Programmable Matter : A Reality

Programmable Matter

'Programmable Matter : A Reality ?

Can matter be programmed ? The Carnegie Mellon's synthetic reality project, funded by Intel, has been successful in developing prototypes in (centimetres) and their related network architecture for creating a Programmable matter. This emerging field of Electronics has been named claytronics, into the clay nature of matter. The basic unit of this matter is a millimetre in size is and is called a Catom, electronics atom.

 Programmable matter can be defined as "ensemble of material that contains sufficient local computation, actuation, storage, energy, sensing,and communication. Each Catom is a nanoscale robot that locally communicates  with others to forms dynamic three-dimensional shape  in seconds.

 The process involves modelling a 3D object with high speed 3D cameras through customised software, and encoding the 3D model in a format that can be transferred to each Catom, and transmission of data to each Catom so as to locally optimise the object shape.

The first generation of cartoons has been realised. These prototypes are 4.4 CM in diameter and 3.6 CM in height and are spherical. The resizable metal products may be in the consumer market in a decade.

Claytronics

However, designers have two main challenges: one is to scale down the size and other is to increase the number of Catoms interacting Collectively while maintaining the simplicity to program, robustness of architecture homogeneity of Catoms and distributed nature of cartoons. Ranging from industry to hobbyists Dot Some awaited applications include.

1. Programmable antenna : currently there is a different kind of antenna for each type of application. What is the constructional details of antenna can be adjusted while operating in the environment. This could be beneficial in telecommunication for bass control and call handovers.

2. Product design : Rapid development of 3D CAD models to suit the requirements of customers and industry.

3. Cell phones : A resizable cell phone is a dream of every phone designer as that would lead to better layout and with no compromise with the design parameters. Also customers would be delighted with the reasonable displays, keyboards, etc.