Intel's shape-shifting programmable matter shown on video, sadly not for real
By Tim Stevens 
posted March 2nd 2009 11:28AM
posted March 2nd 2009 11:28AM
posted March 2nd 2009 11:28AM
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Wow.
You mean I can finally believe the crap on knight rider now?
It gives Girlfriend on Demand a whole new meaning.
“Plausible Interactive Copy” Jan - http://roots.greenbush.us/?p=671
"You mean I can finally believe the crap on knight rider now?"
Can I finally believe the acting on Knight Rider now?
Very cool concept, indeed. However, in half of the "changes" the matter was just moved around or just changed color. You can already do 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 was supposed to take based on the situation.
Lets see how Nvidia responds xD
@suicycle: Clearly this is the first time you've seen this demo. What they imply is that you can program it so you can have it any color you might want.
How could this be achieved? Think for a moment that the shape is created by a combination of ferrofluids and nanomachines suspended in a substance that while has a small current, it remains "shapeable". While on the board, the current flows through the (let's say) gelatinous/sandy substance, but once you press a button, the current is suspended, then you let it cool and it will harden. tt would be nice (and green) if once the prototype is done, you could somehow recycle it again and again by just tossing it to yet another machine so it can filter out foreign particles from it and reincorporate it all to the main substance tank.
Color could be obtained by using the same principles as in e-ink, small micro particles change sides and regroup to show you a color. What you have at the microscopic level are tons of tiny cubes, CMYK plus B&W, combined they can create almost any color.
I find that Tony Stark's prototyping 3D board could be somewhat cooler (but holograms haven't got there yet either).
It would also be nice if the particles could somewhat sense your fingers, so they could project on top of them what surface you where going to be tweaking (a proximity sensor triggers a response that brightens the color of the part you are going to change)... Undo will be a must here also.
Intel joins the ranks of big name producers such as.... Pixar and Dreamworks. Ooooooooooooh.
I don't think the real thing will be remotely close to what's rendered in that video. Also, anyone else think the people at Intel jacked a spaceship from New Mexico or something and is disassembling alien technology to resell as new processors?
Just accept that they have very smart engineers.
NEVER
@waiownsyou: Carl Pilkington is that you?
Nope. They found the remnants of a T-1000 in the desert, and are reverse engineering it.
I feel that this kind of technological concept is best filed in the 'day trips to the moon & flying cars' file. I could see something like this being inevitably created (which would then gain sentience and start attacking us all), but it'll never reach that level for a very long time.
I think that reverse-engineered alien technology is about the only way that we are going to see something like this in the next 15 years. Even then, it'd probably just start enslaving people and call its alien overlords.
The end result could be similar. 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.
Let's build Megaman!
this is definitly going to make parking alot easier
we saw that long time ago, in the movie ?
Yup, somebody at Intel was watching T2 and thought to themselves, "Boy, if we could cobble together a slick video, I bet we could get all kinds of investors for this obvious Vaporware!".
All they did was describe clay. OMG WOW CLAY. CLAY IS SO AMAZING!!! you can reshape it on demand. only your skill and vision can hold you back from multi million dollar creations.
No, clay is real. This is not.
Wow, programmable matter. I think we know it better by it's other names... Vaporware, Special Effects, and B*llSh*t.
This is as ridiculous as that video projector and table cloth they used to promote as a "Functional Cloak of Invisibility". Why don't they just bust out Teleporter Pods, Video Enlargers, and Hoverboards well they're at it?
are you retarded? they said it was a render
They need to redo one of Clarke's 3 laws.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
to
Any sufficiently advanced theoretical technology is seen as vaporware by people who have no imagination and generally are clueless.
@creimusc: I can see it's a render, that's my whole point! It can't not, will not, ever work.
Why do only stupid people reply to my comments? Better question, why do I reply to stupid people?
Wow! A machine that can display images and send messages through electricity? You gotta be shitting me!
@MaxSMoke: Perhaps you could explain *why* it won't ever work, eg by identifying specific problems that you think can never be solved. That would make it easier for us stupid people to follow your thought process.
Sounds like the new plastic for the modern age. This really gets you thinking about all the applications this could have on regular every day items we have and how this could affect them.
Clothing alone would be insane. A fat dude would never have to worry about his waistline ever again. A single tug and it can get bigger and bigger and bigger..... ;)
In all seriousness. Think of tent materials. Instant healing if say a branch comes down and rips a hole in the thing. Or what about a
I am on the edge of my seat, Jon Doe. What about a WHAT?
so within the decade?
can i use it to make me a special model to "interact" with?
you said ..."INTERACT"
LOL!!!
Bah, so you're telling me all the components INSIDE your blue tooth headset are going to shrink to size? Doubtful, maybe for prototypes this will be ok, same goes with engines in a car, i don't think we are quite there yet.
TRANSFORMERS...! more than meets the eye.
one step closer to Megatron!
Screw transformers. This thing could kick the Transformers ass. All it would need to do is fling itself at a transformer while turning into a liquid state and then invade its body. Once inside it would have all kinds of "fun".
Hmmm transformers meets the T-1000.
lol "Mutating Matter"
They're gonna turn into monsters and eat us!!!
I saw that "demo" video like a year ago. CNN shows it now?
Aren't you used to it by now? Seeing things twice happens when you ride time around like that.
"...But this is no illusion..."
Well... Not for long anyway.
Inflatable playmates will never be the same when this comes to market. ;-)
Those cars are U G L Y!
I find it amusing they are using the archetype of a car to sell the next advance in material technology.
Amuse them with the future, keep their minds firmly locked in the present?
Technologically I do think this is possible, but I don't really see an aplication for it in a selfish greed driven economy where the focus is to get more for selling less. I'll be on the "waiting to see" crowd with this one.
So it shouldn't be a car, which people are familiar with -- they should invent a new future product to demo their future material, to distract people from the matter concept being demoed and make them argue about the pointlessness of this imagined product instead?
Or maybe an existing, but not widely available product... I know! They should've shown a thneed, made from programmable matter instead of truffula fiber!
No way could it just be smart marketing to evoke "future" concepts (Transformers, anyone?) that people are already familiar with. It must be evil capitalism trying to keep everyone in the past.
you know what the best part is?
after showing cars for like 5 minutes
the guy in the video was like
"you can even use it to make and change things like... cars!"
oh, i never would have thought cars were one of the possibilities
"This is no illusion", it's just CGI!
Check this out: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/
Intel is a sponsor--seems like they may be taking more credit than they deserve???
And what's more is, CNN presents the news story as though it's very close. So close that you're looking at programmable matter in this simulation. They make a mention at the end of the clip that it's not ready yet, but still have no idea if what you're looking at in even remotely realized yet. (Which it isn't if you know about such things)
I got a call from my parents yesterday saying "WOW did you see this?? And I had to burst their bubble telling them it's not even remotely real yet, that it's a computer simulation. Had to go hunting on the net for the original video since there is no source listed on the CNN Website.
Stoopid CNN.
I think my grandchildren will enjoy this....... Im 23 so I guess Ill have approximately 40 or so years to wait......