Machines that Make machines
Hod Lipson
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Computing & Information Science
Cornell University
Cornell University
College of Engineering
Computational Synthesis Lab
http://ccsl.mae.cornell.edu
The two meta-challenges of
Engineering:
1. Design a machines that can design
other machines
2. Make a machine that can make other
machines
Machines that Design Machines
Lipson & Pollack, Nature 406, 2000
Need more design space
FabLab in a box
• Fablabers are distinguished by
disciplinary desegregation
• Lots of machines can make parts of
other machines
• Is there a universal fabricator?
– Top down approaches
– Bottom up approaches
Printable Machines
The Universal Fabricator
On a single machine
• Make arbitrary shapes / structure
– preassembled mechanisms and parts
• Make arbitrary circuits
– Sensing, processing, power and actuation
• Achieve large range of functionalities
– Use large range of materials
• Increase design space
– Afforded by co-fabrication
Analog vs. Digital
Threaded
Rod
~30V,
DC-10kHz
Linear
Motor
PIEZO-ACTUATOR
Material Fluid
Reservoir
Syringe
Barrel
Plunger
Material
Fluid
Reservoir
>250um
~100um
ol
To
Mo
n
tio
Deposition via Syringe Extruder Tool
Continuous paths
Volume Fill
o
To
lM
oti
on
Deposition via Ink-Jet
High-resolution patterning, mixing
Thin films (60nm)
Printed Active Materials
Some of our printed electromechanical / biological components: (a) elastic joint (b) zinc-air battery (c) metalalloy wires, (d) IPMC actuator, (e) polymer field-effect transistor, (f) thermoplastic and elastomer parts, (g)
cartilage cell-seeded implant in shape of sheep meniscus from CT scan.
With Evan Malone
Zinc-Air Batteries
With Megan Berry
IPMC Actuators
Multi-material 3D Printer
CAT Scan
Sterile Cartridge
Printed Agarose Meniscus
Cell Impregnated Alginate Hydrogel
Direct 3D Print after 20 min.
With Larry Bonassar, Daniel Cohen
The Universal Fabricator:
Parallel to the Universal Computer
• In the 60’s, a computer
–
–
–
–
–
Cost > $100,000
Size: Refrigerator
Speed: Hours/job
Operation: Trained staff
Usability: Maintenance intensive
Digital PDP-11, 1969
• Today:
– Faster, cheaper, better, easier
Stratasys FDM Vantage, 2005
Exponential Growth
RP Machine Sales
Source: Wohlers Associates, 2004 report
Critical Mass
• The computer took off when it infiltrated
the home market
• Solved the chicken and egg problem:
– People were motivated to write software for
their own needs because there was
available hardware
– People were motivated to buy hardware
because there was software to run on it
The First Home Computer
• ALTAIR 8800 microcomputer kit (1975)
– $397 (2MHz, 256 bytes RAM)
Generally credited with launching the PC revolution
Fab@Home
Low cost, hackable, fablabable, open source
Bottom-up Fabrication
Self-assembling machines
Modular Robotics:
high complexity, do not scale in size
•
Fukuda et al: CEBOT, 1988 

•
Yim et al: PolyBot, 2000
•
Chiang and Chirikjian, 1993 
•
Murata et al: Fracta, 1994

Whitesides et al, 1998

Winfree et al, 1998
Murata et al, 2000
Jørgensen et al: ATRON, 2004
Rus et al, 1998, 2001

Stochastic Systems:
scale in size, limited complexity
Zykov & Lipson, 2005
Dynamically Programmable
Self Assembly
Construction Sequence
High Pressure
Low Pressure
Construction Sequence
Construction Sequence
Construction Sequence
Construction Sequence
Construction Sequence
Reconfiguration Sequence
Reconfiguration Sequence
Implementation 2
Inside of the
cube:
• Servoactuated
valves
• Basic Stamp II
controller
• Central fluid
manifold
• Communicatio
n, power
transmission
lines
Embossed fluid
manifold
Hermaphroditic
interface
Orifices for
fluid flow
With Paul White, Victor Zykov
Implementation 2: Fluidic Bonding
Movie accelerated x16
With Paul White, Victor Zykov
300 µm
a) t = 18.8 s
b) t = 19.3 s
c) t = 19.5 s
d) t = 19.7 s
e) t = 4.9 s
f) t = 8.6 s
g) t = 14.3s
h) t = 15.6s
Figure 5. Assembly and Disassembly of 500 μm Silicon Tiles on PDMS Substrate
With David Erickson, Mike Tolley
Conclusions
•
•
Universal Designer
Universal fabricator
– Makes shapes, circuits, sensors, actuators,
energy & information processing
•
Top-down approach
– Printable machines
•
Bottom-Up approach
– Dynamical self–assembly
Cornell University
College of Engineering
Computational Synthesis Lab
http://ccsl.mae.cornell.edu
Credits
Viktor Zykov
Evan Malone
Daniel Cohen
Also: Paul White, David Erickson
Mike Tolley