WELCOME

CLAYTRONICS

PRESENTED BY
ABHIRAJ V. R
S7 CS
ROLL NO: 01
ABOUT THE PROJECT …
Started in 2005.

This project being conducted in Carnegie Mellon

University with the support from Intel aims to create
programmable matter.

The project team led by Professors Todd C. Mowry,

Seth Goldstein includes researchers from Intel Labs
Pittsburgh.

Estimated arrival by 2017.

 INTRODUCTION
Project combining the modular robotics ,
nanotechnology & computer science to create the 3-d
display of electronic information

 the research focuses on 2 main projcts

1) creating the basic building block of claytronics
known as claytronic atom (catoms)
2) designing & writing s\w program
CONTD…..
The catoms will be sub millimeter computers that
will have ability to move around, communicate with
each other, change color and electro statically
connect to other catoms to form different shapes

It’s the same concept as modular robotics, only

on a smaller scale.
ROLE OF MOORE'S LAW.
This promise of claytronic technology has become possible because of the
ever increasing speeds of computer processing predicted in Moore’s law.
CAPABILITIES OF CATOMS

Computation
Motion
Power
Communication
SCALING AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Four basic design principles :

1. Each atom should be self contained.

2. No static power should be required for adhesion

after attachment.

3. Coordination should be performed via local control.

4. Catoms should contain no moving parts.

 Depending on the scaling principles there are three regimes of catoms.

Properties Macro Micro Nano

Dimensions > 1cm >1 mm < 10 microns

Weight 10’s of grams 100’s of mg < 1 mg

Power < 2 watts 10’s of mW 10’s of nW

Locomotive Programmable Electrostatics Aerosol

mechanism magnets
Adhesion Magnets Programmable Molecular surface adhesion,
mechanism Nanofibers adhesives covalent bonds
Manufacturing Conventional Nano fabrication Chemically directed self
methods assembly
Resolution Low High High

Cost $$$/catom $/catom Millicent/ catom

CLAYTRONICS HARDWARE
The basic hardware of a claytronic atom comprises of:
CPU
energy source
network device
video output device
one or more sensors
mechanism for adhering to other catoms
 CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH
 Current stage of design: Claytronics
hardware operates from macro scale designs
with devices much larger than the tiny
modular robots

such devices are designed to test concept for sub-

millimeter catoms and effects of physical and

electic
force on them
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CATOMS.

The major types of catoms are:

1. Planar catoms
2. Electro static latches
3. Stochastic catoms
4. Giant helium catoms
PLANAR CATOMS.
The prototype that is most like what developers hope
catoms will become is the planar catom.

These take the form of 44 mm diameter cylinders.

 These cylinders are equipped with 24 electromagnets

arranged in a series of stacked rings along the cylinder’s
circumference.

Movement is achieved by the catoms cooperatively

enabling and disabling the magnets in order to roll along
each other’s surfaces.

 Only one magnet on each catom is energized at a time.

ELECTRO STATIC LATCHES
• A new system of
binding and releasing
the connection
between modular
robots, a connection
that creates motion
and transfers power
and data while
employing a small
factor of a powerful
force.
GIANT HELIUM CATOMS
SOFTWARE RESEARCH
Software research is a tedious process.

Organizing the communication and actions between

millions of catoms require development in algorithms and
programming languages.

The major goal of claytronics matrix is to form 3d

shapes.

Matrix software must actuate the constant change in

locations of catoms.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
Researchers have created two new languages called
MELD and LDP

MELD:

Meld is a declarative language designed for

programming overlay networks.

By using this the code for an ensemble of robots can be

written from a global perspective.
This dramatically simplifies the thought process for
programming the movement of a claytronics matrix.

LDP ( Locally Distributed Predictions):

A program that addresses a fixed-size module.

This allows programmers to operate the claytronic

matrix more frequently and efficiently.
DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF ENSEMBLES.
Visualizing the Invisible While Realizing the Unreal

 As a first step in developing software to program

catoms, the team created DPR-simulator.

 Simulator create a world in which catoms take on

the characteristics that researches wish to observe.
APPLICATIONS
Claytronics could transform communication, entertainment, medicine
and more.
Revolution in Communication
One Dimensional Two
Two Dimensional
Dimensional Three Dimensional
CONTD.

PARIO
One of the primary goals of claytronics is to form
the basis for a new media type, PARIO.

Pario the logical extension of audio and video, is a

media type used to reproduce moving 3D objects in
the real world.

When this goal is achieved we will be able to

create an environment called synthetic reality.
 CONTD 2.
Helps users to carry around a lump of catoms that
can reshape in to any object .

Shape Shifting Furniture!

Change the shape of furniture and the wall paintings according to preferences
from time to time
CONTD 3.

Would enable to work remotely in physical hostile

environments.

They are of great use in disaster relief.

It may help scientists learn how to efficiently

manage networks of millions of computers.

It will also advance our understanding of

nanotechnology.
FUTURE DESIGN
3D movement of catoms.

Catoms will be able to emit variable colour and

intensity of light, allowing for dynamic physical
rendering.

Onboard battery sufficient to power catoms will

exceed the size of the catom itself, so an alternate
energy solution is desired.
Research is being done into powering all of the
catoms in an ensemble, utilizing the catom-to-catom
contact as a means of energy transport.
Develop a unary connector for the catoms in order to
keep reconfiguration time at a minimum.

 Nanofibers provide a possible solution to this

challenge.
CONCLUSION
Many challenges need to be resolved before bringing
this technology to real world.

The hardware aspect of this technology deals with

making the crude and tiny robots to move and
configure.

The software aspect is still highly staggering.

It concerns with controlling the movements of minute

catoms and programming these millions to work
together.

Still, claytronics is a promising field of engineering.

REFERENCES
1.Electronics For You journal:
November 2009 issue.
2.Carnegie Mellon University official site:
www.cs.cmu.edu
3. www.wikipedia.com
4. www.google.co.in
5. Images form : images.google.co.in and
www.cs.cmu.edu.