Journal of Management Engineering and Information Technology (JMEIT) 2394 - 8124 Volume -2, Issue- 4, Aug. 2015, ISSN: Website: www.jmeit.com | E-mail: [email protected]|[email protected] Claytronics – An Unimaginable Shape Shifting Future Tech. Vijay Laxmi Kalyani Vijay Laxmi Kalyani, Assistant professor, Government Mahila Engineering College, Ajmer [email protected] Abstract: is time to explore the unexplored from the programmable matter ‘catoms’ the basic unit of Claytronics. Catoms are The latest emerging and having unimaginable power, small Nano tech units which can be programmed to do the branch of engineering for the future. This branch of functions, they are sub-millimeter units that can move around engineering is a combination of electronics, computer and communicate to each other and gelled by the science and imagination and creativity to explore the electromagnetic force. The catoms can mutate into any object unimaginable. The idea of Claytronics came from the virtual or real like science fiction movie in real world. This ‘clay’ that can be molded into various shapes, it can be concept predicts multi-million-module robot outfits which colored into various shades and helps in making various are able to change into three-dimensional prospects, eventually with sufficient conformity so as to persuade that articles for playing for kids, also used as in house molding the visions are for real this capacity. The ultimate goal of this and simulation of the character or shape in animation etc. processing to attain the real world objects the physical in the case of Claytronics imagination is the key, it is a realization of the objects. very simple concept of playing with clay and making various shape in pre- school, kids do it very easily they make their own characters and shapes. ‘Claytronics’ is II. THE CONCEPT still in the initial growth phase of its development and people are continuously working and exploring the The concept of Claytronics is by using programmable matter possibilities to get the full potential of this new tech. it ‘catoms’, where programmable matter meets with human works with ‘catoms (Claytronics Atom)’ small intelligent creativity and innovation to do magic. Claytronics atoms piece of electronics component which gelled together to combine together to get the tangible, interactive and virtual take the shape of the desired thing, the shape size color reality to reality matter. Catoms are gelled together by attributes and counting. Catoms are programmable electrostatic force to give the power of changing shapes. matter that uses Nano tech robotics to take shape and Catoms have the capability to change and communicate color. In this paper the author seeks to explore how among themselves and from different shapes in real form. This concept is still in the growth phase but it seems that it programmable matter can give useful opportunities to has great potential for the current and future use. The the world, various future and current applications of this imagination and creativity is the key to use the concept, emerging technology, like 3- d simulation, medical, everything which is present in the world or will be in near education, engineering- robotics and more. future is by the power of imagination of human brain, from the movies of science fiction to the real world the cellphone Keywords: Claytronics, Catoms, shape shifting, Nano and computers and other devices are the live examples of the tech, programmable matter, artificial intelligence, 3-d imagination and creativity. The ultimate goal is to get the real printer. object from the Catoms. This innovative concept anticipates multi-million-module robot outfits which are able to change I. INTRODUCTION into three-dimensional prospects, eventually with sufficient conformity so as to persuade that the visions are for real. The The idea of Claytronics came from the ‘clay’ that can be concept of Claytronics it combines nanotechnology with molded into various shapes, it can be colored into various small programmable robots also called programmable matter shades and helps in making various articles for playing for that have the ability to move and morph themselves into kids, also used as in house molding and simulation of the various shapes controlled by sensor and communication character or shape in animation etc. in the case of Claytronics network. Catoms can even duplicate themselves into the form imagination is the key, it is a very simple concept of playing of people that we would find real looking. This technology with clay and making various shape in pre- school, kids do it would be different from 3-D holographic tech. where the very easily they make their own characters and shapes. From image is there but cannot be tangible and cannot move or kids imagination to the professional creativity the scope is morph it is more like projection of the vast, unimaginable. This technology will bridge the gap object. Nanotechnology is the technology that has the ability between the intangible world of computer generation and the to make very small machines that are so small they cannot physical world we live in through its use as an interactive even be seen traditional microscopes. Nano technology make medium. Seth Goldstein and Todd Mowry introduced this all the components require to function in a smaller size to concept. The project is undertaken by Carnegie Mellon attain greater functionality. It can be said that this was the University and funded by Intel. Cell phone was the hottest basic need to fulfill before moving advance in claytronics tech in world few decades ago, now the new version of cell research. phone smart phones are booming in the market just imagine To manipulate, move or morph a catom need to have some a cell phone/ smart phone can rearrange itself to form a laptop hardware and software component like it should consist of or other electronics component and again to a smart phone. It CPU, a network device for communication, display unit, All rights reserved © www.jmeit.com 21 Journal of Management Engineering and Information Technology (JMEIT) 2394 - 8124 Volume -2, Issue- 4, Aug. 2015, ISSN: Website: www.jmeit.com | E-mail: [email protected]|[email protected] sensors, some kind of force to adhere and power supply. To side is attracted to the positive side of the other catom so organize and communicate and to form a desired shape and that the movement and torque is maintained in a circular form it requires billions of catoms and advance software motion. All components of claytronics are working together programming language and algorithms to perform through in making the impossible possible. programmable matter ‘catoms’. The power of ‘catoms’ has unimaginable utility in telecommunication, human-computer interface, medicine, education, entertainment etc. III. HOLE MOTION What happens if one of the catoms fails then the entire ensemble would not reach its desired orientation. In a normal condition catoms arrange themselves in a hierarchical order, Researchers are implementing a method they call hole motion in order to orchestrate large-scale movement. Hole motion can be thought of as someone putting air into a balloon. If the hole is created in the ensemble, the hole or vacuum space will reach to the top of ensemble and the edge will consume the hole and rearrange the ensemble for the desired shape. The movement of the hole can be either up or down in ensemble. Fig. 3 showing Planar Catom Version 8 Fig. 4 Showing Controller Canvas of catom Fig. 1 Hole Motion. Edges can (a) Contract by consuming a hole, or (b) expand by creating a hole, purely under local control. V. HARDWARE Claytronics hardware operates from macro scale designs with devices that are much larger than the tiny modular robots that set the goals of this engineering research. Such devices are designed to test concepts for sub-millimeter scale modules and to elucidate crucial effects of the physical and electrical forces that affect Nano scale robots. Fig. 2 showing rearranging of catoms according to the pre-defined pattern (according to arrows) IV. THE COMPONENTS OF CLAYTRONICS The components of Claytronics include majorly hardware and software part to make an object move and morph. The major component of claytronics is catom, a catom is a single unit who is having all the equipment’s necessary to communicate along with sensors for working, the controlling unit for catom has to be there for controlling the movements and there should be no moving part inside as whole catom is moving not the inside parts, they are attached to other catoms through electrostatic force each catoms’s negative charge All rights reserved © www.jmeit.com 22 Journal of Management Engineering and Information Technology (JMEIT) 2394 - 8124 Volume -2, Issue- 4, Aug. 2015, ISSN: Website: www.jmeit.com | E-mail: [email protected]|[email protected] 1. Planar Catoms - test the concept of motion without moving parts and the design of force effectors that create cooperative motion within ensembles of modular robots. Fig. 6 Showing the Locking Pattern Source: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/hardware/electrostatic- Fig. 5 (i) Showing catom and Planar Catoms controlling ring notes.html 3. Stochastic Catoms integrate random motion with global objectives communicated in simple computer language to form predetermined patterns, using a natural force to actuate a simple device, one that cooperates with other small helium Catoms to fulfill a set of unique instructions. Fig. 5 (ii) Showing Pairs of Catoms [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/hardware/planar- stuff/catomelectromagneticmodules.pdf] 2. Electrostatic Latches model a new system of binding and releasing the connection between modular robots, a connection that creates motion and transfers power and data while employing a small factor of a powerful force. The normal Fig. 7 Showing Hellium Ballon electrostatic force that binds in a direction Source: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/hardware/stochastic- perpendicular to the electrodes, the capacitor also notes.html harnesses a shear force in a direction that is parallel to the contact of the faces.