What is Claytronics?
Claytronics is a system designed to implement the concept of programmable material, ie a material that can be manipulated electronically in three dimensions in the same way as two -dimensional images can be manipulated through computer graphics. Such materials would consist of "Cathoma" - atoms of Claytronics - which would be in analogy with real atoms of the smallest indivisible units of programmable matter. Each Cathom would be able to receive electronic instructions, processing information and communication with other Cathoms and follow. Cathoma groups would be able to move, but without individual Cathomas would have some moving parts. The aim is to use a very large number of extremely small cathoma in nanoparticles, allowing a wide range of applications.Ensors, video display and compliance and movement with other Cathoma. For example, adhesion can be achieved by magnetism or electrostatic forces. Since 2011, successful experiments have been carried out with relatively extensive Cathoma, toThe terra can move relatively together in two dimensions using electromagnets that can be turned on and off as needed. It is believed that Cathomas will be in bulk in the submersion and even a nanometer scale, allowing the collection of millions of Cathoma to be handled.
In ClayTronics, the collections of Cathoma are referred to as "files". Each Cathom in the file is able to determine its location and combine this information with some overall goal prescribed for the file as a whole, it can decide whether to connect with neighboring Cathoms or to move to them. For example, the file could have a target -re -reproducing three -dimensional object. Initially, individual cathomas can move randomly, but as they use information that has been provided to them about an object to be reproduced in combination with information about their states and locations from their internal memory and sensors, the object is formed through their cooperativethe action.
Organization of Millions of Separate Units requires the development of new programming languages very different from those used for conventional applications. For example, it would not be possible to uniquely identify each unit - they would be "anonymous", and therefore the "program" would not become a set of specific instructions sent to specific units. Instead, the goal would be set and essentially autonomous units remaining according to simple rules. For this purpose, two programming languages, MELD and locally distributed predicates (LDP) were developed.
One likely application for ClayTronics is a 3-D fax machine that would allow the reproduction of three-dimensional objects from transmitted information. While several other options have been designed to achieve this goal, it is likely that ClayTronics technology would result in much faster reproduction. An object to be reproduced could simply be buried under a layer of Cathoma to obtain a andIt transmitted information about the dimensions of the object to the admission set of Cathomas, which would then be organized to create accurate reproduction. Another option is "Pario", a step forward from a video that allows you to handle moving three -dimensional objects, with many possible uses in research, modeling, design and education and entertainment.