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Programmable Origami
sciencehabit sends this snip from Science Magazine, with included video: "Researchers have created flat sheets of composite material that can fold themselves into toy boats, tents, and even paper airplanes. Based on the ancient art of origami, the sheets are edged by foil actuators — thin, solid-state motors — that contract or expand when they receive an electric current from flexible electronic circuits embedded in the sheets. After they achieve their preprogrammed shape, the sheets are held in place by tiny magnets on the edges of the fold joints. Researchers say the technology could be scaled up to create ultra-portable tripods or even cups that automatically adjust to the size of liquid being poured into them."
Cool stuff!
-Todd
Omne ignotum pro magnifico.
^subject
As an origamist with an interest in nanotechnology, I could see a few EXTREMELY useful applications for this. I heard it said once that scientists were testing the idea that nano-switches for computer chips could be folded from nano-sheets of metal. Imagine a computer with hardware that literally reforms its self to accomplish new tasks on the fly. Given, programming it would be about the most difficult thing to accomplish, but it would still be a fun toy to play with...
OMG!
A self adjusting drinking cup!
If I had a nickel for every time I had a cup that was too big or too small for what I wanted to pour into it, I could fund the research on this project myself. Oh, and an ultra-light weight tripod!
This will be awesome! Surely the greatest thing since sliced bread!
Seriously though, couldn't they dream up some future use examples that were a bit more practical? Is there really a demand for light weight tripods and self adjusting drinking cups?
You keep using that word.
I do not think it means what you think it means.
Now, my knowledge of physics may be a little bit fuzzy, (and of general relativity, even more-so) but using the principals laid out by these guys, doesn't it make it slightly easier even theoretically to take a large penis (preferably black in color) and shove it right up your ass?
I'm waiting for programmable okonomiyaki.
What a silly-looking "invention". The actuators they've developed may indeed be useful but this video makes it hard to imagine a single real application. Dynamically-resizing folding cups? I can't wait!
DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
But what language do you use to program a blank sheet of paper?
I can guess...
"This algorithm runs in constant time. Come on, 2,147,483,648 is a constant..."
This is another step to the ultimate device for freeloaders: the universal compiler machine.
Probably a "universal" compiler machine is imposible (other than atom-by-atom build?), but especialized machines are probabbly possible, and heres one. The best use for this type of technology is generate a colony of self-replicant robots near the dark side of the moon. I doubt it will be possible to build all the elements on the moon itself, but the more you can build there (and I can see how a origami structure can be usefull) the less you need to send using very expensive rockets.
-Woof woof woof!
Nice topin, "Researchers have reshaped the landscape of programmable matter by devising self-folding sheets that rely on the ancient art of origami". Thanks..
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A self adjusting drinking cup
Maybe not important to you, but it may be interesting to someone like McDonald's.
Probably not at the current prices though, but 30-50 years down the road...
Oh, and an ultra-light weight tripod!
Maybe not important to you, but it may be interesting to someone like **insert major camera/mobile phone manufacturer here**.
Actually, those are pretty good examples - if you are looking for more immediate funding AND you don't feel like lying through your teeth about possible capabilities of your invention.
Although, they WILL probably have to do more lying before they sell this one.
And get a more colorful video. Preferably with some scantly clad human females in it.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
Hardly. How about...
shape-changing robots that can fit into nearly any space and will kill us all!
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
This will be how we make the first self-erecting buildings of our Moon base , with no astronauts present until they are ready for occupation. Also it will be how our explorers on Mars carry their emergency shelters, for when they have to wait to be rescued after digging their rover into a sandpit.
"Cock Up Your Beaver" does not mean what you think. This sig is intended to clog filters and annoy do-gooders
Drinking cups that are being held together with magnets? Oh ho ho! I smell an office prank with a degausser!
Something about the mindless optimism of the scientists always makes me smile. They produce a sheet the size of a playing card that can slowly fold itself into a few predetermined shapes. While this is impressive, the technology is clearly miles away from tripods and auto-adjusting cups. This is a symptom of a research framework that only focuses on marketable products, and doesn't give a stuff about the actual progress being made.
I've known about this technique for a long time. For pete's sake it was in the movie Batman Begins. Batman has a cape made of this stuff.
Do it with a driving semi turning into a 50 meter tall robot - then we'll talk!
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
^annoying habit
What a depressingly stupid machine.
Officer, I swear, it was only one beer.
"Boy Grandma, you sure can hydrate a pizza!!"
Admit it -- you're already thinking about how you can use this technology in bed.
-kgj
Well it sounds feasible on paper.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Seriously, the US Air Force has had this technology since 1946 and now we're just catching up?
Researchers say the technology could be scaled up to create ultra-portable tripods or even cups that automatically adjust to the size of liquid being poured into them."
No longer will I suffer the burden of having to carry a stone age, brain teasing carbon fiber tripod, or have to navigate the treacherous gymnastic maze of not overflowing a cup at the soda fountain!
Way to think BIG, summary!
Wouldn't be cooler if this thing were made out of memory metal instead of relying on seams and actuator motors??
(whatever happend to memory metals?! You'd think that with the big advances in nano-scale tech, we could have some very cool advances in memory metal abilities and applications)
"This was awarded first prize in the Increase Lazy Children Toy Show.
Second prize went to Shrinky-Dinks that came with software and a little robot. The child surfs their site for a color scheme they liked from among dozens others have uploaded, then pushes a button, wherein the robot colors it, sticks it in the oven and shrinks it, then takes it out and heaves it into the bottom of the toy box for the child."
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
IBM's Watson and now this... Skynet and a liquid metal T-1000 can't be far away.
Ask me about my sig!