The document discusses Claytronics, which aims to create programmable matter through the use of nanoscale robots called catoms. Catoms would be able to move and interact with each other to form tangible 3D objects. The document outlines several approaches being researched and developed to achieve this, including planar catoms that use electrostatic forces, giant helium catoms to study physical forces, and magnetic resonance coupling for wireless power transfer. Programming languages like MELD and LDP are being designed to control large ensembles of catoms in a distributed, fault-tolerant manner.

1. REVOLUTIONISE THE
FUTURE
OF
COMMUNICATION

3.  A technology to create synthetic reality with which human
interaction is possible.
 Combines nanoscale robotics and computer science to
create individual nanometer-scale computers called
claytronic atoms, or catoms.
 Catoms can interact with each other to form tangible 3-D
objects that a user can interact with. This idea is more
broadly referred to as programmable matter.
 Think of “HOLODECK” of ‘Star-Trek’ or the holographic
projector in Avatar. They are all interactive.

4.  Electronics: To create catoms and other required
hardware.
 Physics: For structural support and movement.
 Robotics & AI: Motion planning, Collective actuation.
 Computer Science: To create proper Algorithm and
Language to operate the whole matrix of catoms.

5.  CATOM - Claytronic Atom, the
fundamental unit of claytronics.
 Basically a nano-robot, using a
computer for operating the
Catom, sensors for
communication and magnetic
relays for its movement.
 The catoms are controlled by the
computer which is inside it and A prototype Catom, with a ruler
to scale. The orange circular coils
with help of other hardware it are magnetic actuators. The CPU
moves according to program, is situated at the top. The sensors
causing the effective macroscopic are situated inside.
movement.

6.  HARDWARE  SOFTWARE
 Planar catoms.  Programming languages-
 Electrostatic latches. MELD and LDP.
 Stochastic catoms.
 Shape sculpting.
 Giant helium catoms.
 Localization.
 Cubes.
 Dynamic simulation.
 Magnetic resonance
 Integrated debugging.
coupling.

7. In order to be viable, catoms need to fit the following criteria –
 Catoms need to be able to move in three dimensions relative to each
other and be able to adhere to each other to form a 3D figure.
 Catoms need to be able to communicate with each other.
 Catoms must have a CPU to process the data flowing in through its
sensors using the algorithms and take decisions.
 It must have an onboard power supply to power its CPU, magnetic coils
and sensors.

8. At the current stage of design and research, claytronics hardware
operates from macroscale designs with devices that are much larger than
the tiny modular robots that set the goals of this engineering research.
Such devices are designed to test concepts for sub-millimeter scale
modules and to elucidate crucial effects of the physical and electrical
forces that affect nanoscale robots.
The micro-controller board of a Catom.

9.  We need millimeter-scale catoms
that are electrostatically actuated
and self contained. As a simplified
approach it is trying to build
cylindrical catoms instead of
spheres.
 The millimeter scale catom consists
of a tube and a High voltage CMOS
die attached inside the tube
 The catom moves on a power grid
that contains rails which carry high
voltage AC signals.
 The powered chip generates voltage
on the actuation electrodes
sequentially, creating electric fields
that push the tube forward.

10.  It is a 22-cc cube that provides a base of
actuation for the electrostatic latch.
 The worm-drive assembly extends the face
of one cube to create contact with the face
of an adjacent cube. The electrodes on
each face create one-half of a capacitor.
When the two "genderless," star-shaped
faces of adjacent Cubes integrate their
combs, they complete a capacitor and
form an electrostatic couple from the
contact of electrodes, which binds the
faces as a completed latch.
 The capacitive couple, which forms the
electrostatic latch, provides within an
ensemble of Cubes not only adhesion and
structural stability but also the
transmission of power and
communication

11. Planar Catoms are the closest step to creating
catoms that, without any moving parts, will create
motion, a fundamental objective in Claytronics
research.
 The self-actuating, cylinder-shaped planar catom tests concepts of
motion, power distribution, data transfer and communication that will
be eventually incorporated into ensembles of nano-scale robots. It
provides a testbed for the architecture of micro-electro-mechanical
systems for self-actuation in modular robotic devices. Employing
magnetic force to generate motion, its operations as a research
instrument build a bridge to a scale of engineering that will make it
possible to manufacture self-actuating nano-system devices.

12.  A working prototype is shown in the picture
here, presents for view its stack of control
and magnet-sensor rings. Its solid state
electronic controls ride at the top of the
stack. An individual control ring is
dedicated to each of the two rings of magnet
sensors, which ride at the base of the
module.
 At the base of the planar catom, the two
heavier electro-magnet rings, which
comprise the motor for the device, also add
stability. To create motion, the magnet
rings exchange the attraction and repulsion
of electromagnetic force with magnet rings
on adjacent catoms. From this conversion of
electrical to kinetic energy, the module
achieves a turning motion to model the
spherical rotation of millimeter-scale
catoms.

13.  Pictured in a top view two magnet rings from a
prototype planar catom display the
arrangement of their 12 magnets around
individual driver boards.
 The motion of this two Catom can be made
possible by sequentially attraction and
repulsion of the consecutive magnets.
 A catom sustains a clockwise or counter-
clockwise motion by a continuous transfer of
electro-magnetic force to achieve the
opposite motion in the other catom.

14.  A Giant Helium Catom (GHC) measures
eight cubic meters when its light Mylar
skin fills with helium to acquire a lifting
force of approximately 5.6 kilograms.
 The Giant Helium Catom provides
researchers a macroscale instrument to
investigate physical forces that affect
microscale devices. The GHC was
designed to approximate the relationship
between a near-zero-mass (or weightless)
particle and the force of electro-magnetic
fields spread across the surface of such
particles. It also tells the effects of gravity.
 Such studies are needed to understand
the influence of surface tensions on the
engineering of interfaces for nanoscale
device

15.  MAGNETIC RESONANCE COUPLING:
 As a potential means for providing power to catoms without using electrical
connections, it is experimentally demonstrated wireless power transfer via
magnetic resonant coupling is in a system with a large source coil and either
one or two small receivers.
 This is almost the same process by which energy is transferred from primary
to secondary winding in Transformer without connecting them by wires.
 ELECTROSTATIC LATCH:
 It is 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.

16.  We need distributed computing in Claytronics as there will be no wire and
no unique address of the catoms in a Claytronics matrix. It means it has to
be operated in state of constant flux. And for that two languages are
developed- MELD & LDP.
 The point of the programming is to translate commands into the motion
of each machine in its relationship to every other machine.

17.  MELD:
 Meld is a programming language designed for robustly programming
massive ensembles.
 The programmer needs to write a program for an ensemble rather than
the modules that make it up.
 Because Meld is a declarative programming language the programs
written in Meld are concise.
 Furthermore, these implementations are inherently fault-tolerant. They
can recover from modules that experience FAIL-STOP errors as the Meld
runtime automatically recovers from these errors without any need for
the programmer to think about it.

18.  Locally Distributed Predicates (LDP):
 LDP approaches the distributed programming problem using pattern-
matching techniques.
 LDP allows for the expression of distributed event sequences as well as
the expression of particular shapes .These facilities, combined with an
array of mathematical and logical operators, allow programmers to
express a wide variety of distributed conditions.
 As with Meld, LDP produces dramatically shorter code than traditional
high-level languages (C++, Java, etc.).
 A reactive language, LDP grows from earlier research into the
analysis of distributed local conditions, which has been used to
trigger debugging protocols.

20.  It means determining module location from noisy observations.
 In order to determine their locations, the modules need to rely on noisy
observations of their immediate neighbors. These observations are obtained
from sensors onboard the modules, Unlike many other systems, a modular
robot may not have access to long distance measurements.
 Therefore, the robot needs to employ sophisticated probabilistic techniques
to estimate the location of each its module from noisy data.
 One key idea is to hierarchically decompose the ensemble into smaller parts.
The parts are localized first, and the partial solutions are then merged to
obtain an estimate for the entire ensemble. That means divide and conquer.
 The second key idea employed in our work is to limit the amount of
communication sent between the modules. Much like in a flock of birds,
each module needs to communicate information about itself to others in the
ensemble, but should avoid communicating with everybody.

21.  Dynamic debugging is already possible because of the languages used-
MELD and LDP are capable of this.
 For dynamic simulation a new simulator “DYNAMIC PHYSICAL
RENDERING” or DPR simulator is developed by researchers.
 DPR simulator operates in LINUX environment and this is open source.
 It not only simulate in a dynamic way but also provides means to
activate all catoms under real life conditions- Gravity, Friction, Surface
tension etc. making it a very effective tool.

22.  In the current design, the catoms are only able to move in two
dimensions relative to each other. Future catoms will be required
to move in three dimensions relative to each other.
 Another major design challenge will be developing a genderless
unary connector for the catoms in order to keep reconfiguration
time at a minimum.
 To create such nano-robot or catoms of millimeter scale by
fabrication process.
 In case of software view we need enormous computing power-
which is largely unfamiliar to present day technology.
 To create such an easy algorithm that can work in real time
without any error.

23.  In case of fabrication the researchers are continuously trying
to make catoms smaller. Presently 44mm Catom is made.
 The trend of fabrication technology according to Moore’s
Law makes us believe 3D Catom will be made soon.
 Just think of the increment of computing power in the few
years and it predicts to develop the needed algorithm with
high computing power.
 Adhesion between catoms can be made by electrostatic
latch as said before.

24.  Moore's law is a rule of
thumb in the history of
computing hardware
whereby the number
of transistors that can be
placed inexpensively on
an integrated circuit doubles
approximately every two
years
 Claytronic technology has
become possible because of
the ever increasing speeds of
computer processing
predicted in Moore's Law.
 The law is now used in the
semiconductor industry to
guide long-term planning
and to set targets for research
and development.

25. In collaboration with:

26. THANK YOU