Intel talks up shape-shifting "programmable matter," bugs us out

We've managed to somewhat wrap our brains around shape-shifting robots and printable circuits, but we're still working on fully understanding the latest Intel spill. As IDF came to a close, Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer, presented a keynote speech in which he explained just how close the outfit was to realizing "programmable matter." Granted, he did confess that end products were still years away, but researchers have been looking at ways to "make an object of any imaginable shape," where users could simply hit a print button and watch the matter "take that shape." He also explained that the idea of programmable matter "revolves around tiny glass spheres with processing power and photovoltaic for generating electricity to run the tiny circuitry." For those now sitting with a blank stare on their face (read: that's pretty much all of you, no?), hit up the read link for even more mind-boggling "explanations."

[Via MAKE]

[Valgas @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:34AM]

A shape shifting car would be cool. Shape shifting house. Shape shifting 250 foot robot armed with nuclear grenades and plasma cannons? Oh boy.

[DSeaver @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:49AM]

A shape shifting car would be cool. More like A shape shifting car would be more than meets the eye.

[Spyvie @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:14PM]

Seems like this or similar tech could be adapted to create artificial muscles

[LondonConsultant @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:41AM]

This is so far off. Cyborgs will have enslaved mankind and conquered the universe long before there's programmable matter...

[who? @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:32PM]

Or the cyborgs will be the programmable matter. Replicators anyone?

[Kyle Richards @ Sep 2nd 2008 9:49AM]

What?

[sola @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:06AM]

Just what i was thinking. It all seems like a pretty straightforward explanation to me, even with no specialized knowledge of electronics or physics.

[Harry Wagstaff @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:07AM]

But is it possible to program it to form a computer which can play Crysis?

[Raven @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:24AM]

Actually, I understood all that perfectly.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:12AM]

Well I guess the stuff of movies is soon going to be the stuff of life. T-1000 anyone or how about some Futurama-esque Lucy Liu love bots? I can hardly wait.....

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:15AM]

Well I guess the stuff of movies is soon going to be the stuff of life. T-1000 anyone or how about some Futurama-esque Lucy Liu love bots? I can hardly wait.....


Sorry if this double posts, I don't know why....

[Jon Acheson @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:21AM]

Just remember, any time someone says something is "10 to 20 years away," that is marketing speak for "unobtainable with current technology."

It might show up in 10 to 20 years, or 5, or never.

[Jash Sayani @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:45AM]

Ya, the atoms are programmed to change its properties and stuff. Saw it last week on GeekBrief.TV

[Painkilla05 @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:50AM]

Did anyone else see this and at first think "Hey look, burgers!"

[pfromg @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:53AM]

strangely, the phrase "load of bollocks" comes to mind.

[Rick @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:54AM]

I want, Raquel Welch!

[fischju @ Sep 2nd 2008 11:51AM]

Didn't the science channel have a whole show on this exact thing last week?

[Jesse Felt @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:09PM]

Not the entire show, no, but yeah, they had a show on Sunday where they talked about this, and the person (presumably from Intel) said that this tech may be available to the real world in a little as 5 years...

It's pretty awesome stuff if you ask me. The main concept was for a 3d fax machine / printer type tech.

[timothy @ Sep 2nd 2008 11:58AM]

So it's like Terminator 2...

[TheWakeUpCall @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:31PM]

lol that's exactly what I thought! The terminator who can mould into any non-complex metal shape. Scary.

[nowicki222 @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:02PM]

Can it play Doom?

[halkonlar @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:07PM]

Vonnegut - Cat's Cradle - Ice Nine

[Astralplaydoh @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:24PM]

Earl Grey, hot.

[StalematE @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:31PM]

what do you do with those things? butt?

[phanbouy @ Sep 2nd 2008 1:46PM]

i didn't know "butt" was a verb

[AlphaTeam @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:46PM]

This will fulfill a lot of gamer fantasies.

[adam @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:59PM]

mimetic poly-alloy.... uh oh.

[dukemang @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:50PM]

Someone's been watching too much Stargate Atlantis.

[Hickeroar @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:54PM]

On the contrary, using nanotech, the theory is very technically sound. There's no reason something like this couldn't be done once nanotech is "mastered." Of course we're talking probably decades before we come close to that point.

[ED @ Sep 2nd 2008 7:37PM]

There is no such thing as too much Stargate Atlantis.

[Hickeroar @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:53PM]

Sounds like something straight out of an Alastair Reynolds book. Or maybe from Neal Stephenson's "Diamond Age."

[Bubba626 @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:09PM]

Isn't this a Star Trek replicator. I wish...

[Juxxxer @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:41PM]

>Can it play Doom?

No - it plays flight simulator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jeV77dSyMI

[Tim @ Sep 2nd 2008 4:26PM]

Yeah, I got it too. its not like theyre trying to rearrange the positions of atoms, just little snoglobes. A ways off, sure, but not super hard to understand.