Thursday November 19, 2009

Source: http://classes.hybrid.concordia.ca/~cart360_vincent/files/goldstein-computer05.pdf

This article is about a robotic research project at Intel Research Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The objective of the project is to create a series of mass-produced very small robots that interact with eachother. These robots would allow developpers to computer-generated tangible 3D objects.

These objects would be collections of individual components. As such, there are many challenges to this research. First, the robots must be manufacturable and lightweight. There is therefore no room for batteries and they must be powered by automatic power-routing. Also, the components are self-controlled and so there are problems related to communication and global planning.

If they succeed, these researchers would open a new field of interface design and 3D immersive design.