Claytronics
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Dubbed "Claytronics" by Carnegie Mellon University, this is an emerging field of engineering concerning reconfigurable nanoscale robots ('claytronic atoms', or catoms) designed to form much larger scale machines or mechanisms. Also known as "programmable matter", the catoms are said to eventually have the ability to morph into nearly any object, even replicas of human beings for virtual meetings.
According to Carnegie Mellon's Synthetic Reality Project personnel, Claytronics are described as "An ensemble of material that contains sufficient local
- computation,
- actuation,
- storage,
- energy,
- sensing & communication."
Which can be programmed to form interesting dynamic shapes and configurations.
Additionally, Claytronics is the name given by artist Charuvi Agrawal [1] to 1-inch clay caricatures of public figures, she started building in 1996 using self hardening clay. Since, then this art form has built a large patron base in India as well as internationally. In September 2007, at the 60 Anniversary of Indian Independence, Coca-Cola Company awarded Miss Charuvi Agrawal India extra-ordinaire award for her claytronics series in New York.
