Mistry 1
Twinkle Mistry
3/9/2015
Writing 10
John Haner
Programmable Matter: The Future of Robots
In the 2007 Science-fiction movie, Transformers, by Michael Bay, Sam Witwicky, a
normal teenager is stuck between a war among the gallant Autobots and illusive Decepticons.
These extraordinary robots are able to transform from regular everyday machines, to robots with
bodies that resemble those of a human form (Transformers). However, this is just science fiction,
one may argue. Is such a thing even possible in real life? Even forward thinkers such as
Leonardo Di Vinci and Jules Verne would not have seen such a future in which ordinary objects
could shape-shift and change form in an instant. However, the age of change is upon us. We are
now looking into the world of virtual reality also known as Programmable Matter, in which
objects the size of sand-grain could change shape and form in an instant. Such technology could
potentially change the very foundations of society.
Programmable Matter: Speculations vs Reality
According to highly informed sources such as Thomas A. Campbell, Banning Garrett,
and Skylar Tibbetts, who have been constantly updating the world on the idea of 3D and 4D
printing and the idea of programmable matter, “Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and
Intel Research Pittsburgh explore how programmable matter might change the computing
experience” (Campbell).
Mistry 2
Figure 1: Concept of Claytronics shown at the
Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology
Center
As you can see in Figure 1, this collaborative research by Carnegie Mellon and Intel aims to take
people into the digital world in a way that is indistinguishable from reality. They’re not only
developing a technology that can instantly create complex objects, which is what modern 3-D
printing can achieve, but they are also looking into the ability of those objects to transfigure on
command. Such a capability could jolt the world, even more than the impact of the first cellular
phone, or even the internet.
However, before we go into what research is being conducted on this matter, let’s first
talk about what programmable matter really is. Elliot Hawkes, a PhD Candidate at Biomimetic
and Dexterous Manipulation Lab at Stanford University with a background in Mechanical
Engineering is able to give us a very concise and clear idea of what Programmable matter truly
is. Hawkes states that “Programmable matter is a material whose properties can be programmed
to achieve specific shapes or stiffness upon command” (Hawkes). In other words, this is a type of
technology that is able to instantly create complex items on command.
Mistry 3
As aforementioned, such innovations could change the way society works. Imagine if
such programmable matter were cheap and affordable, the possibilities that one could have can
profoundly change the way we do things. One such capability would include the ability to copy
objects as easily as copying a piece of paper. Even beyond that, we would be able to reshape the
copies of the objects to our liking. According to Henry S. Kenyon, a Contributing Writer to
publications such as Aerospace America, Information Week, Signal Magazine and
FierceMarkets, this “technology may allow future warfighters to command their equipment to
physically change itself to meet new operational need or to form spare parts or tools” (Kenyon).
Through Kenyon’s twenty years of experience in the journalism industry, covering topics such as
defense industry and defense electronics, Kenyon is fairly accurate in stating that this technology
could be a great ally for our military.
However, let’s think about this once more, and ask ourselves again. Is such a thing even
possible – maybe within the next 50 or so years? In order to get a thorough answer to this
question, we must first look back to past and see the root of the concept of programmable matter.
History
Dating back to the 1900’s, computer scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) thought about the idea of computers being able to communicate with one
another and perform computational tasks in parallel synchronization. According to Philip Ball,
Physical Sciences editor for the journal Nature, these two scientists from MIT named Tommaso
Toffoli and Norman Margolus were speculating about “a collection of small computer arranged
so that they could communicate with their immediate neighbors while carrying out computations
in parallel” (Ball). Toffoli and Margolus were looking at microcomputers that would be able to
mold and shape themselves accordingly to their neighbors. For example, if one molecule is
changing its shape, then the other molecules surrounding them would mold and follow suit of the
Mistry 4
first molecule. These two brilliant scientists believe that the “shrinking of power sources and
circuitry for wireless communication” (Ball) have been able to allow the power of robotics to
reach a new height. Toffoli and Margolus are saying that considering the rate at which wireless
systems are expanding and the rate at which Moore’s law is growing, sooner or later, the idea of
programmable matter won’t be as preposterous as one may think. We are in the age of
technology where micro robots are able to easily communicate with one another. The idea of
being able to make small machines that are able to move parts around and mold themselves to
become another shape is becoming an increasingly feasible task.
This idea of programmable matter once again resurfaced in 1988 as a model in the world
of science fiction. Aerospace engineer and science columnist, Will McCarthy, was able to
incorporate the world of magic into the world of science in his novel The Collapsium. McCarthy
drew inspiration from famous British fiction novelist and futurist Arthur C. Clarke, who stated
that “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (Clarke). He said
that in his books he “sought to include technologies that felt like magic but had a basis in real
science. Programmable matter certainly fit the “magic” part” (McCarthy).
Programmable matter is something that is able to change from a chair to a spaceship to a
table, and that too instantaneously. That seems fairly magical to me! After the book hit the
shelves, they author found himself being hit by skeptics. He faced criticism stating that such
things were ludicrous, and something of this sort could not possibly exist in real life. The author
then went on the do more extensive research on the matter, and he visited multiple labs around
the world and he spoke to a multitude of scientists about the concept at hand. He was able to
learn that such a thing is possible and that scientists were currently thinking more about the
topic.
Mistry 5
Coming back to the topic of Claytronics, in 2005 a scientist by the name of Seth
Goldstein, along with this team at Carnegie Mellon is currently working on robot modules about
the size of sand grains that are able to mimic the look and feel of practically anything.
Claytronics is the idea that combines robotics, nanotechnology and computer science to create
3D building blocks. These building blocks are a collection of individual components known as
Claytronic atoms, or catoms.
Figure 2: Claytronic atom prototypes. Each 44-mmdiameter catom is equipped with 24 electromagnets
arranged in a pair of stacked rings.
These catoms, as seen in Figure 2, have the ability to move in three dimensions in relation to
other catoms and adhere to those surrounding catoms to form and maintain a 3D shape. As
reported by the researcher behind Claytronics, Seth Goldstein, “each catom is a unit with a CPU,
a network device, a single-pixel display, one or more sensors, a means of locomotion, and a
mechanism for adhering to other catoms” (Goldstein). Goldstein is simply stating that each
individual component of Claytronics is able to move and stick to its neighbors and transform
Mistry 6
accordingly to the shape desired by the user. However, Claytronics is still within its early stages
of development, and the researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are hoping that one day they
will be able to take some lump and be able to transform it into anything that you could possibly
imagine; from a model car to a coffee cup to just about anything.
Another researcher at MIT by the name of Daniela Rus, along with her colleagues, is
exploring something very similar to what Goldstein is working on. Rus and her student, Kyle
Gilpin, are working on a research project known as “smart sand” at the Distributed Robotics
Laboratory at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. This smartsand uses a sub-attractive method in which individual grains of sand are able to pass messages
from one another to selectively attach to each other to form a three dimensional object. Once that
said object has been created, then the rest of the unused sand grains fall away from the finished
product. When the object has served its purpose, the grains are able to detach and are now free to
form a new 3D shape. To have a better understand of this algorithm, Rus and Gilpin provided a
2D model to explain how such a thing would even be possible. Imagine each grain as a square
block, and say some squares from a footstool are missing. All the squares would pass messages
to one another in order to determine which squares have missing neighbors, and once it has been
established who has missing neighbors, then the squares can simply pass messages to those
neighbors and they in turn duplicate themselves and cover that missing perimeter. Rus and
Gilpin have created something known as “smart- pebbles” (cubes) to test this algorithm.
Mistry 7
Figure 3: Daniela Rus and Kyle Gilpin presenting
Smart-Pebbles
These pebbles that researcher Daniela Rus is holding in her hand in Figure 3, are able to use
magnets on them to not only connect to one another, but also to communicate and share power.
According to Gilpin, one of the lead researchers behind this project, “Each pebble also has a tiny
microprocessor, which can store just 32 kilobytes of program code and has only two kilobytes of
working memory” (Hardesty). Due to this additional microprocessor, their algorithm is capable
of working in three dimensions, because each layer of the block is able to be treated as a two
dimensional grid. Once the desired shape has been achieved, the excess cubes are able to
disconnect from the final shape. However, despite their mass achievement in this field, they are
still far from the development of true “smart-sand”, which would require grains that are much
smaller than the current 10 millimeter “smart-pebbles”.
Scientists currently in this field of research all over the world are all aiming towards one
goal, which is to create a system of molecules that are relatively miniature and are able to
Mistry 8
transform into arbitrary structures on demand. Despite the challenges of being able to shrink
today’s robotic blocks and pebbles to the size of a grain of sand, scientists are getting closer and
closer each and every day.
Impact on Society
Scientists have been working on the idea of programmable matter since the 1900s, but it
has only seen a boost in interest since 2007. In 2007, Campbell’s research showed that “the U.S.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded a Programmable Matter project, that laid
out a multiyear plan for designing and constructing micro scale robotics systems that could
morph into larger military systems” (Campbell). As aforesaid, many universities and research
teams all across the globe are all working on different ways to create such programmable matter.
According to various researchers, programmable matter would be a great asset to the military
world. Some of the functionalities of this programmable matter include the ability to help aid in
the instantaneous construction of weaponry during an emergency, or during a war. They also
offer the possibility of aircrafts and ground vehicles that can morph themselves to best fit the
situation. Another break-through for this technology would be the ability for military uniforms to
alter themselves to be comfortable in any environment or climate. This technology could also aid
in retrieving information. The programmable matter could transform and flow through small
openings and get into caves and bunker complexes in order to perhaps spy on the enemy and
gain inside intelligence. Such programmable matter is oriented to meet the needs of warfighters’
when they are constantly experiencing rapidly changing battlefield environments.
However, this new innovation wouldn’t just aid in military aspects; it could be useful for
everyday life as well. Home-owners could easily transform a chair into a table and a table into a
sofa within a matter of seconds. With a flick of a switch, we could be able to alter a wall into a
Mistry 9
window or a door. Consider the current plumbing system: "Today when we want to build
infrastructure for moving water around a city, we take rigid pipes with fixed capabilities and then
bury them” (Campbell). Such a system is good, until one has to increase the amount water
transfer; then in that case, we would have to uproot the whole system and reassemble to adhere
to the amount of desired water flow. However, if we were to have working programmable matter
within society, then an alternative to such a plumbing system would be flexible pipes that could
change shape on command, or heal themselves if ruptured. Such technology can change the way
society works.
This technology could also be useful in space travel. One could send a small box into
outer space with this technology inside of it, and upon reaching the orbit, this technology could
self-configure into say a functional satellite. Campbell also mentions “Other space-bound
devices that could be configured to serve multiple purposes – for example, a solar array could be
make to transform into a parabolic antenna or a storage capsule” (Campbell). For space
exploration missions, we could send machines in compact forms, and once arriving on say
another planet, they could configure themselves and explore the territory. They could also be
able to change form accordingly to the environment. Also, an astronaut could be able to take
some object and change it accordingly to what he needs, ranging from clothes to tools to sleeping
arrangements.
Another use of this technology could be construction. In the recent movie, Big Hero 6,
the protagonist, Hiro Hamada, a 14-year old robotic genius, creates something known as
microbots, miniature robots that are able to link together to form any arrangement possible. Hiro
shows the possibility of being able to link these microbots together to form buildings
instantaneously (Big Hero 6). Researcher Thomas Campbell also speculated on the idea of self-
Mistry 10
assembling buildings. Campbell stated in the article that we would be able to pour an appropriate
amount of programmable matter into a foundation, and then all we would have to do would be to
tell the elements to self-assemble into a finished structure with complete amenities. Such
technology is closer than one may think, and much like current automated machinery, serious
advances in programmable matter threatens to make jobs in manufacturing obsolete.
Conclusion
The idea of programmable matter has always been prevalent in society. Throughout
history we have seen scientists grow and expand on this idea, and develop various working
models of such a “magical” reality. Despite some of the challenges researchers are still facing
concerning this technology, we are continuously stepping closer to a 3D world. Researchers from
Carnegie Mellon University and MIT are working towards such a digital world in which we can
transform a lump into whatever we need in a blink of an eye. This technology shows a large
magnitude of possibilities, ranging from military uses to space travel essentials to basic home
needs. Current research shows very promising applications, and before we know it, we will be
living in a world so rich with computation that we will not be able to distinguish virtual from
reality.
Mistry 11
Work Cited
Hawkes, Elliot, et al. "Programmable matter by folding." Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences 107.28 (2010): 12441-12445.
Goldstein, Seth Copen, Jason D. Campbell, and Todd C. Mowry. "Programmable matter."
Computer 38.6 (2005): 99-101.
Kenyon, Henry S. "Programmable Matter Research Solidifies." SIGNAL Magazine. Signal
AFCEA, 26 May 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.afcea.org/content/?q=programmable-matter-research-solidifies>.
McCarthy, Will. "Programmable Matter Moves From Sci-Fi to Sci-Real." Discover Magazine.
Discover, 9 Oct. 2008. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
Ball, Philip. "Make Your Own World With Programmable Matter." IEEE Spectrum. IEEE
Spectrum, 27 May 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
Clarke, Arthur C. Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination. United States, New York;
Random House Inc. 1973.
Campbell, Thomas A., Skylar Tibbits, and Banning Garrett. "The Programmable World."
Scientific American (2014): 60-65. UC Merced Library. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
Figure 1. Concept of Claytronics Shown at the Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology
Center; www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/; Web 26 March 2015
Figure 2: Claytronic atom prototypes. Each 44-mm-diameter catom is equipped with 24
electromagnets arranged in a pair of stacked rings.
http://www.csd.cs.cmu.edu/research/areas/comparch/ ; Web 26 March 2015
Figure 3. Daniela Rus and Kyle Gilpin presenting Smart- Pebbles. Digital image. M. Scott
Brauer. MIT News. MIT News, 2 Apr. 2012. http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2012/smart-roboticsand-0402. Web. 9 Mar. 2015
Transformers. Dir. Michael Bay. Prod. Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy,
and Ian Bryce. By Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Perf. Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese , and Josh
Duhamel. Paramount Pictures, 2007.
Hardesty, Larry. "Self-sculpting Sand." MIT News. MIT News Office, 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 26
Mar. 2015.
Big Hero 6. Dir. Don Hall and Chris Williams. Perf. Ryan Potter and Scott Adsit. Walt Disney
Studios Motion Pictures, 2014. Film.