Claytronics By Braeden diaz

Systems Nano Technology What are claytronics? Claytronics is an abstract future concept that combines nanoscale robotics and computer science to create individual nanoscaled computers called claytronic atoms, or catoms. Claytronics is a form of programmable matter that is able form tangible 3D objects that can interact with each other or that a user can interact with. Modular Robotics Computer Science Systems Nano Technology

Programmable Matter (Fundamental concept) Programmable matter is where the claytronic atoms or “catoms” combine to create the micro or nano scale structures which also can combine to form the shapes of the physical entities called claytronics. Nanoscale Computer Basic unit Catom Biggest Challenge Self Assembly of Catoms

Research Objectives Claytronics technology is currently being researched by Professor Seth Goldstein and Professor Todd C. Mowry at Carnegie Mellon University, which is where the term was coined. The goal is to create claytronic atoms or catoms that will have the ability to change their shape, density, moduli, conductivity, optical properties, etc. in a programmable fashion based upon user input or instructions from software algorithms.

Real Life Application https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJEMfAg5l2w

Current Research Status 5 Main Catom Prototypes: In todays research claytronic hardware is simulated from macro scale prototypes that are much larger than the tiny modular robots that set the goals of this engineering research. Such prototypes are designed to test concepts for sub-millimeter scale modules and to test the effects of the physical and electrical forces that affect Nano scale robots. Planar Catoms Electrostatic Latches Stochastic Catoms Giant Helium Catoms Cube Catoms

Current Research cont. The researchers and engineers of Carnegie Mellon-Intel Claytronics Research Lab are already developing the necessary software that is needed to facilitate the communication and transfer of data between catoms in a claytronic matrix. The Carnegie Mellon-Intel Claytronics Research Project has created two new programming languages: Meld and Locally Distributed Predicates (LDP).

Current Research cont. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HsUb1m27Ng

Conclusion (future research) In the current design of first generation catoms, they are only able to move in two dimensions relative to each other. However, future catoms will need to be able to move in three dimensions relative to each other. Another thing that these catoms will need to be able to do is to emit multiple colors and intensities of light for dynamic physical representation. As catoms are scaled down more into the nanoscale range, the onboard batteries in the catoms will exceed the size of the catoms themselves thus becoming insufficient. On the software side of things, there is going to be a need for advanced algorithms and programming languages in order to organize and keep track of all the communication and actions between the millions of nanoscale catoms.

bibliography Carnegie Mellon University official site: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytronics Academic Peer Reviewed Journals (Online PDFs): http://snurl.com/29efpig http://snurl.com/29efpk4 http://snurl.com/29efpl4 http://snurl.com/29efq4j