After a long time again a contribution.
I recently heard about a project on which research is carried out Carnergie Mellon University. The goal of these scientists is truly revolutionary. It should be "smart dust" are produced, which turns on automatically in any shape, for example, by sending him a blueprint of an object. Through constant communication with each other in these little mini machine automatically move relative to each other in the right position, is that after a short period of Ferite object before you. By light-emitting diodes, they could also change their color.
The most difficult thing about this command on self-organized dust or sand, that he actually Precise organized and do not aggregate. This hurdle has just been taken. What's missing is the shrinking of the robot to Tischtennisballgroesse Sandkorngroesse, but this is certainly only a matter of time. My guess, 10 to 15 years, until it works so well, as shown in the ad.
page Claytronics
Spiegel article about Claytronics
commercials for Claytronics
