Imagine 3D printing without 3D printers, self assembling smart objects that could duplicate any object you can think of.
An MIT team of engineers led by Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory or CSAIL have been working to create a type of technology that will be able to create 3D objects out of smart cubes, called M-bots. The lead researcher who worked on this project was John Romanishin. These little cubes are about the size a rubric cube’s individual segment. They are able to propel themselves by a small magnet that is encased in each cube. The cubes have the ability to communicate to each other and store small amounts of memory. Each M-Block propelled by a flywheel with the ability to achieve speeds of up to 20,000 revolutions per minute. To achieve a right fit upon landing the magnets are aligned in a way that allows for a perfect fit to each cube that it comes in contact with. In the future the developers of M block want to be able to scale it down to the size of a grain of sand. At this scale the smart cubes will use a substractive method of duplicating small scale objects into larger ones, or just making a copy of a large scale object.
This short video can show how the cubes will duplicate objects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okciiW26A6c
Looking into the future of this type of 3D printing the researchers and enthusiasts alike have envisioned several uses for this kind of technology.
Self assembling blocks can be used for defense, creating smart weapons or robots which can reassemble themselves into whatever shape based on need.
or they can be used for humanitarian efforts during disasters, they could be used to build temporary shelters, tools or even something as the repair of broken bridges or buildings.
these are some of the imagined uses for M-blocks, time will only tell what they will bring for the future.
here are some of my sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/11/14/making-terminator-ii-army-reality/