Intel's shape-shifting programmable matter shown on video, sadly not for real

If you were as confused as we were by Intel's talks of programmable matter, an intelligent amorphous blob formed of microscopic glass spheres and able to take any shape, you'll want to check out the video from CNN embedded below. It shows the stuff in action -- albeit rendered, conceptual action -- allowing a group of designers take a car that looks a lot like a Cadillac and make it even more slab-sided, changing its color a few times, and then causing it to explode in what can only be a 1/18 scale preview of another installment of The Matrix. We can't wait to have a blob of this stuff on our desk to play with (it'd be the ultimate stress ball), but we're guessing it's going to be a long, long time before that happens.

[DrXym Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:49PM]

That clip is so utterly implausible that I wonder that Intel can find somebody with a straight face to pretend that it isn't. Reminds me of those 50s home of the future features that were just so completely wrong in every way that you wondered what they hell they were thinking.

[suicyclecom Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:53PM]

In half of the "changes" the matter was just moved around or just changed color. You can already to that with stuff like Play-Doh and that material that changes color based on temperature . It wasn't like the matter "knew" what shape or color it is was supposed to take based on the situation.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:07PM]

Why do people eat this shit up? If I showed you a clip from "I, Robot" and stuck a CNN logo in the corner would everyone start wondering when they were going to get their autonomous and intelligent home android?

Surprise, people. Science fiction is full of neat-o ideas. Just because someone conceived of something (something that's been thought of plenty of times before) doesn't mean it's coming any time soon or ever.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:16PM]

The sex toy industry will never be the same...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 4:07PM]

we saw what u posted.
dont spam.

Btw, i never saw play-doh changing by itself.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:20PM]

Maya software render video

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:39PM]

There's yet another way this could be done but without proper real matter... but virtual matter...

Have you seen the augmented reality flash that was shown sometime ago? where you would print an icon, show it to your webcam and it would render a green monster on your screen?

Add to that the cool wiimote plus reflective strips on your fingers hack, now the program can see where your fingers are. Now expand it further so when you touch the image you are seeing, you can modify it.

Well, put VR glasses to all those who are in the meeting (design by committee?) and let them see it. Be it in their own wanted scale, or in the perspective the icon has over the meeting table. Once you are done tweaking, you can just send it to a rapid prototyping machine.

This would be also easier since: A) It already exists for medical research. B) You could really get inside the car or close enough to a piece to modify it at will. C) It's just graphics, so there's no need for some electrical silly putty contraption.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:49PM]

I, for one, would like to welcome our robo....er... programmable matter overlords

[Nutsy Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:57PM]

Umm Anyone else thinking Liquid Metal Man t1000 Terminator 2 here?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:14PM]

it may come after 100 years...................


nothing is impossible in this world......................


we never thought before 10 years we will see a iphone or ps3 ..................

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:16PM]

Yeah, who'd have seen that coming after the PS2?

[snowglyder Posted Mar 2nd 2009 3:45PM]

@ aikions

"It gives Girlfriend on Demand a whole new meaning."

What's the old meaning?

[Eternal Density Posted Mar 2nd 2009 5:09PM]

Next: create a (cute) Friendly Replicator ANdroid, appropriately named FRAN. (Also known as a walking, talking, and quite willing, fusion bomb trigger.)

[Steve02k7 Posted Mar 5th 2009 4:18AM]

"we're sorry, this video is no longer available" :(:(:(:(