Singularity Hub has a fascinating article about the implications of a “post-scarcity” future enabled by “programmable matter“. Details about time lines and use cases are fuzzy, but the premise is that in the future we will have materials that are able to reconstitute themselves into new forms based on the desires of the customer. An example the videos provide is a cellphone that could “reform” itself into a laptop and back into a cellphone again.
The main technology that the article highlights is called Claytronics. The research on this technology is being conducted at Carnegie Mellon University and is being funded by Intel. The vision of the research is to create miniature computers roughly the size of a BB that can connect to each other using an electrostatic technique. The following video provides the background of the technology.
Claytronics Tech Overview
Sales Demo
What would you do with the technology? This video shows one interesting use case where Claytronics are used to model a car, refine the design, and preview an animated demo of the car. The Terminator 2 liquid metal aesthetic is indisputably cool and the technology would be very useful if it existed.
Claytronics Prototype
The big question is when will Claytronics be available? If the prototypes in this video are any indication, not soon. The demo is impressive, but the the current resolution is more “dots per feet” than “dots per inch”. This technology will change the world when it is ready, but manufacturers of 3D printers have nothing to fear in the short term from programmable matter.
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