Shape-shifting magnetic bots take a page out of the Dharma playbook

Research is still in the early stages, but the concept renders are straight out of science fiction. Some friendly folks at Carnegie Mellon University are working towards electromagnetic microscopic bots that cling together and can assume virtually any shape. Down the line that means rapid prototyping, the promise of "claytronics," and the mysterious deaths of plane crash victims, but current examples of the tech are anything but slick. The primary uniting element is that the bots being developed have no moving parts, instead using magnetic forces to pull themselves around in relation to each other. Peep the video after the break for some samples.

[fischju @ Jan 29th 2008 10:07PM]

Don't forget Prey.

[Nipponese @ Jan 29th 2008 11:38PM]

Swarm intelligence is truly scary at that level. I shall build my EMP generator before they get to that level.

[Rjay @ Jan 30th 2008 2:23AM]

That video was like the nerd version of "The Ring" tape.

[EdZ @ Jan 30th 2008 5:16AM]

Prey = utter bollocks:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/Chris-Phoenix/prey-critique.htm

Also, these sort of robots are more commonly called 'foglets'.

[fischju @ Jan 30th 2008 10:32AM]

It is called Fiction for a reason.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jan 30th 2008 10:53AM]

They need to my Crichton's "Prey" into a movie that DOESN'T suck. What was the last Crichton movie that didn't suck?

[fischju @ Jan 30th 2008 2:22PM]

Would that be The Andromeda Strain circa 1971? And btw, they are making a new mini series based on it.

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 10:08PM]

Naruto 3rd Kazekage much?

[fischju @ Jan 30th 2008 10:33AM]

Sadly, I'm probably the only other person on Engadget that knows you mean Gaara.

[Calviin @ Jan 30th 2008 11:27AM]

Nope. He's not the only one.

[Gil @ Jan 30th 2008 1:38PM]

Even more sadly, I know that he in fact does not mean Gaara, but rather simply the 3rd Kazekage, who controlled iron sand with a magnetic field.

[fischju @ Jan 30th 2008 2:25PM]

I don't know whether to feel stupid or relieved. And then I remembered that the puppet guy killed the 3rd and made him into a puppet :(

[Graham @ Jan 29th 2008 10:14PM]

This reminds me of the replicators in the Stargate (and Stargate Atlantis) TV series. These cell-sized blocks become humanish and start to take over the galaxy...doom!!

[Matt @ Jan 30th 2008 12:00AM]

Yeah, that's what I thought of too when they said they could take the form of a person. They even have the same bonds between each individual bot.

[Brad Green @ Jan 30th 2008 1:13AM]

Me three...so I too shall have my emp generator nearby...

[Dark Light @ Jan 30th 2008 6:57AM]

How large were The Borg?

[Danny Lewis @ Jan 30th 2008 2:51PM]

Actually the first thing that came to my mind was the replicators from Stargate, not the cloud thing from Lost.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jan 29th 2008 10:18PM]

Hello Skynet, it's your Evolution calling...

[Gavin Seim @ Jan 30th 2008 12:04AM]

Wow early stages is right! These still look like nothing more that middle school science toys.

Fascinating but lets wait until we get some that are actually micrscopic

[paul34 @ Jan 29th 2008 10:30PM]

!!

RIP Mr. Eko! =(

[Panathas17 @ Jan 30th 2008 12:04AM]

yeah, i miss him too....... ***sighs and then cries***

[sk8rpro @ Jan 30th 2008 12:18AM]

Reminder for all Lost fans: Lost is back! Please set your Tivo's/DVR's for Thursday on ABC at 9/8 Central PM.

[Panathas17 @ Jan 30th 2008 11:41AM]

@ sk8erpro


lucky you guys! in South Africa we gotta wait till 25th of FEB... oh well, limewire can help with that i guess......

[IndiaTech @ Jan 29th 2008 10:43PM]

What's today? scare-the-S#^t-out-of-your-readers day or something?
First the freaky Mall Robot, then the Pollen Sniffer or something. Now this. I dont like the pattern here...

[John @ Jan 30th 2008 12:47AM]

Maybe it's more of a troll for more robotic overlord comments?

[Chris Aubeck @ Jan 30th 2008 5:50AM]

It's worrying to think such robots could become intelligent. I have nothing against inventing truly smart phones or a deep-thinking steam iron, but self-aware armies of morphing nanoids could make life a real nightmare.

[IndiaTech @ Jan 29th 2008 10:43PM]

What's today? scare-the-S#^t-out-of-your-readers day or something?
First the freaky Mall Robot, then the Pollen Sniffer or something. Now this. I dont like the pattern here...

[mushrooshi @ Jan 29th 2008 11:26PM]

Multiple Personality much?

[Odimerus @ Jan 29th 2008 10:56PM]

The producers of Lost have stated from day 1 that all the mysteries of Lost had a logical scientific explanation to them. I bet they're loving this. Now if only they could explain someone seeing the future, time traveling, a boy that can kill birds with his mind, and why Evangeline Lilly won't sleep with me.

[Josh L @ Jan 29th 2008 11:35PM]

Polar Bears.

[w00t @ Jan 29th 2008 11:42PM]

Those damn polar bears!!

[Nick Stropko @ Jan 30th 2008 12:21AM]

OK, just calling it now: it's one big dream sequence.

[michael @ Jan 29th 2008 11:40PM]

OLD..
I saw this tech on Batman Saturday morning.

[IndiaTech @ Jan 30th 2008 12:41AM]

Robin: Holy Smokes Batman. Magnetic Robots.
Batman: Yes Robin. Hand me the Anti Magnetic Robot Demagnetizer from my utility belt.

POW, BAMN, WOOSH

[DC502 @ Jan 29th 2008 11:45PM]

No one is scared? I have read prey. I know what they can do!

[arcade @ Jan 29th 2008 11:41PM]

Ah, the producers debunked the theory that the Smoke Monster is a swarm of nanomachines (similar to the ones in Prey) long ago. I'm pretty sure they included micromachines in that category.

But awesome otherwise!

[eeek @ Jan 30th 2008 1:51AM]

Was it Stanislaw Lem who first introduced this idea in The Invincible?

[Sean Mc @ Jan 30th 2008 2:03AM]

I go to CMU but always hear the news of our innovations on Engadget. It's really lame that when breakthroughs happen down the street and I have to go to the internet to find out about it.

[r3loaded @ Jan 30th 2008 2:53AM]

That's odd because Engadget are sometimes quite late with the news. Maybe you should speak to your university's newspaper editor about covering this.

[Superprime @ Jan 30th 2008 2:03AM]

Holodeck here we come :)

[peepeepants @ Jan 30th 2008 4:07AM]

Holy shit- GAME OVER, MAN!!!!! GAME OVER!!!!!

It's all fun and games until you create something that can be in any form, can multiply itself, and takes over the universe. Good job.

[Dan S. @ Jan 30th 2008 9:03AM]

What is this!? Microscopic nanobots for giants?! How can we expect them to do stuff if they can't even fit inside your body?

I don't wanna hear your excuses! These nanobots have to be at least... 3 times smaller.

[Jason @ Jan 30th 2008 10:21AM]

He's absolutely right...

[Jason @ Jan 30th 2008 9:06AM]

So many geezers on Engadget with outdated and silly ideas of the future.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jan 30th 2008 10:54AM]

Sh$#! See? You should always proof-read! "They need to MAKE . . ."

[Bob @ Jan 31st 2008 2:44AM]

At the end of this movie there is a shape shifting bot that seems to be much more developed than the ones in the post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8Yw19bn7Q