Claytronics: An Instance of Programmable Matter

Programmable matter refers to a technology that will allow one to control and manipulate three-dimensional physical artifacts (similar to how we already control and manipulate two-dimensional images with computer graphics). In other words, programmable matter will allow us to take a (big) step beyond virtual reality, to synthetic reality, an environment in which all the objects in a user’s environment (including the ones inserted by the computer) are physically realized. Note that the idea is not to transport objects nor is it to recreate an objects chemical composition, but rather to create a physical artifact that will mimic the shape, movement, visual appearance, sound, and tactile qualities of the original object