Skip to main content

Remember T1000 from Terminator 2? Scientists are planning something similar but with a cuter name – SMARTLET

Self-assembling ‘living technology’ is now within reach, thanks to researchers who’ve developed a form of microbotic electronic units called SMARTLETs that can behave like biological cells.

The team at the Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) has built these tiny modules with silicon chiplets between folds. These SMARTLETs can be encoded with the information to form complex structures – operating much like you’d imagine how the T1000 from Terminator 2 may reconstruct itself. Of course, Robert Patrick's terrifying performance will remain a work of fiction, but we could one day see these SMARTLETs form the components fitted into, say, the best smartphones or the best business laptops. 

They rely on matching physical bar codes to fluidly connect with one another, and show the capacity to learn so they can improve their own performance during construction, and could soon be capable of self-assembly into complex artificial organisms.

One step closer to the wonders of ‘living technology’

‘Living technology’ is a field of technology in which researchers are attempting to create systems and structures that mirror the way biological systems function, with usefulness and attributes taken from life-like properties. 

The idea was proposed 20 years ago and has made great strides forward in the last few years, according to the team from MAIN’s paper in Advanced Materials, thanks to microbiotic flexible electronics. This latest advancement falls under the category of microelectronic morphogenesis – which is the creation of form under microelectronic control.

The chiplets, which resemble biological cells in function and size, are aware of the state of assembly, and potential errors, which means they can adapt to any issues, repair, and make corrections midway through the assembly. 

They can also induce disassembly and perform many functions including harvesting power, forming antennae, material redistribution, and others.

What makes these modules so impressive is the fact they can self-assemble, disassemble, and self-sort so they can be effectively recycled. They can be reconfigured and redeployed in different artificial organisms. If they’re damaged, they can effectively self-repair too.

The authors of the study say this technology can bring us one step closer to realizing a vision of fully sustainable technology, with the reuse of components made from such modules that can be reprogrammed and reassigned like building blocks.

More from TechRadar Pro



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The latest Apple TV 4K test lets you watch four sports streams at once

Apple is trying something new with the latest beta version of tvOS 16.5: the option to watch up to four simultaneous streams at once. Right now it's limited to live sports streamed through the Apple TV app on the Apple TV 4K , specifically MLB Friday Night Baseball and the MLS Season Pass. A multi-view option was spotted in the tvOS software last month, but the code was hidden and not enabled. MacRumors reported that the feature would be enabled this weekend, and beta testers have since been able to use it. As yet multi-view hasn't been officially announced by Apple, but it's expected that tvOS 16.5 is going to be pushed out in its final form within the next month or so. WWDC 2023 is around the corner as well, when we should be hearing about the next major updates for Apple's various operating systems – including tvOS 17. How it works Over at 9to5Mac there's a hands-on demonstrating how the multi-view feature works, and it's pretty much as you would expe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Garmin's new radar-equipped tail light will keep you safe on your e-bike

Garmin's Varia bike radars are some of the most popular pieces of cycling tech around – and now the company has delivered its first rearview radar to have been specially designed for some of the best e-Bikes .   Garmin's Varia range mounts to the back of your bike and broadcasts a radar signal behind you, so you can get visual and audible alerts when something's overtaking you. Even better, the new Varia eRTL615 plugs directly into most e-bikes, with no battery required. Because the catchily-named Varia eRTL615 is also a tail light, it'll also make sure you're visible to other vehicles too, promising to emit a flashing or solid light that's visible from up to a mile away in daylight. To connect Garmin's new radar tail light to your e-bike, you'll need to pick the right Garmin adapter cable (which isn't included). You can buy power cables compatible with Bosch, Shimano, or USB-A terminals or connections, with more info on those available on Garmin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Revolution Software is using their own AI technology to remake Broken Sword

TechRadar Gaming is reporting live from Gamescom 2023 on the latest and greatest developments in gaming and hardware. Revolution Software announced at Gamescom 2023 that Broken Sword would be coming back, with Broken Sword - The Shadow of the Templars getting a full remake while a sixth title in the series is coming in the future too, under the title Broken Sword - Parzival’s Stone .  Speaking to TRG ahead of the announcement, Cecil talked about the studio’s plans for a Broken Sword remake and the sixth title in the series. Cecil is a larger-than-life character, who is able to talk about the studio’s plans with enthusiasm. It even carries a pocketful of stones to illustrate the plans for Parzival’s Stone , but he also talks about how Broken Sword - The Shadow of the Templars would be using AI to upscale.  Cecil wasn’t shy about the studio’s use of AI technology, but he gave a fairly robust explanation of why the game was using it. The AI technology will be used to upda...
Post a Comment
Read more