In a recent article in the high-profile journal 'Advanced Materials', researchers in Chemnitz show just how close and necessary the transition to sustainable living technology is, based on the morphogenesis of self-assembling microelectronic modules, strengthening the recent membership of
A self-folding microelectronic module (SMARTLET) on a surface that can integrate a wealth of functions, e.g. power supply, actuators, sensors and communication capabilities. The SMARTLET itself is made of soft materials and integrates a tiny Si chip in its shell that can store, process, receive and send data. A large number of cube-shaped SMARTLETs can be fabricated on a wafer surface with high throughput. The SMARTLET itself resembles a biological cell in its functionality and size. Graphic: Research Center MAIN - All images ...
It is now apparent that the mass-produced artefacts of technology in our increasingly densely populated world - whether electronic devices, cars, batteries, phones, household appliances, or industrial robots - are increasingly at odds with the sustainable bounded ecosystems achieved by living organisms based on cells over millions of years. Cells provide organisms with soft and sustainable environmental interactions with complete recycling of material components, except in a few notable cases like the creation of oxygen in the atmosphere, and of the fossil fuel reserves of oil and coal (as a result of missing biocatalysts). However, the fantastic information content of biological cells (gigabits of information in DNA alone) and the complexities of protein biochemistry for metabolism seem to place a cellular approach well beyond the current capabilities of technology, and prevent the development of intrinsically sustainable technology.
SMARTLETs: tiny shape-changing modules that collectively self-organize to larger more complex systems
A recent perspective review published in the very high impact journal Advanced Materials this month by researchers at the
Electrical self-awareness during self-assembly
In addition, the chiplets can provide neuromorphic learning capabilities allowing them to improve performance during operation. A further key feature of the specific self-assembly of these modules, based on matching physical bar codes, is that electrical and fluidic connections can be achieved between modules. These can then be employed, to make the electronic chiplets on board 'aware' of the state of assembly, and of potential errors, allowing them to direct repair, correct mis-assembly, induce disassembly and form collective functions spanning many modules. Such functions include extended communication (antennae), power harvesting and redistribution, remote sensing, material redistribution etc.
So why is this technology vital for sustainability?
The complete digital fab description for modules, for which actually only a limited number of types are required even for complex organisms, allows their material content, responsible originator and environmentally relevant exposure all to be read out. Prof. Dagmar Nuissl-Gesmann from the
Furthermore, the self-locomotion and self-assembly-disassembly capabilities allows the modules to self-sort for recycling. Modules can be regained, reused, reconfigured, and redeployed in different artificial organisms. If they are damaged, then their limited and documented types facilitate efficient custom recycling of materials with established and optimized protocols for these sorted and now identical entities. These capabilities complement the other more obvious advantages in terms of design development and reuse in this novel reconfigurable media. As Prof.
Contribution to European Living Technology
This research is a first contribution of
Publication: Microelectronic Morphogenesis: Smart Materials with Electronics Assembling into Artificial Organisms
DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202306344
Contact:
Prof.
Dr. Daniil Karnaushenko, Research Center MAIN, tel. +49 (0)371 531-37773, e-mail daniil.karnaushenko@main.tu-chemnitz.de
Prof.
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