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Self-Sculpting "Sand" Can Allow Spontaneous Formation of Tools

Posted by samzenpus on from the shape-of-a-sand-tool dept.

parallel_prankster writes "Researchers at MIT are developing tiny robots that can assemble themselves into products and then disassemble when no longer needed. 'A heap of smart sand would be analogous to the rough block of stone that a sculptor begins with. The individual grains would pass messages back and forth and selectively attach to each other to form a three-dimensional object; the grains not necessary to build that object would simply fall away. When the object had served its purpose, it would be returned to the heap. Its constituent grains would detach from each other, becoming free to participate in the formation of a new shape.' To attach to each other, to communicate and to share power, the cubes use 'electropermanent magnets,' materials whose magnetism can be switched on and off with jolts of electricity."

5 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Murder Weapon by HockeyPUcX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seems like that would make the job of the police more difficult in finding a weapon used in a crime. "We can't find the knife. There is just this pile of sand."

    1. Re:Murder Weapon by Nailer235 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We have a technology that could potentially lead to self-organizing micro-particles capable of rapidly forming complex shapes, and your first thought is "What if someone uses this technology to create a club and then clobbers someone over the head with it?"

    2. Re:Murder Weapon by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why I always walk around naked. Clothing is for people who have something to hide. What are you, a criminal?

      --

      ---
      ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
    3. Re:Murder Weapon by tool462 · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, just fat.

  2. Minor correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    electropermanent magnets turn off with current, not on. The electromagnet neutralizes the permanent magnet while the circuit is active. This makes the connection via the permanent magnet energy efficient - no current is required to turn it on, only break the bond.