Workshop on Designing "Materials that Compute"
Abstract
The next generation of computing platforms will not involve desktops or even hand-held mobile appliances fabricated from a large collection of heterogeneous parts, but rather will be a computational ÒfabricÓ built with new material systems and implementing new computational paradigms. The ideal computing material would be lightweight and mechanically compliant, and would sense and respond to human touch and motion in order to perform a level of computing that will enrich the life of the human wearing this fabric. Furthermore, the material would perform these Òsense, compute and respondÓ functions in a relatively autonomous manner, enabling it to operate without connections to an external power supply. Designing such systems requires that researchers mesh boundaries between materials, chemistry, physics and computer science, enabling the computer and the material to be one and the same entity, thus creating Òmaterials that compute.Ó To help nucleate this new field of research, we propose to hold a workshop that will bring together scientists with a broad range of backgrounds. Fundamental advances in science and technology often come about through synergistic interactions between individuals working in different disciplines. Approaching complex scientific problems from different perspectives can lead to significant breakthroughs that could not be accomplished in isolation. The development of new materials systems for computing exemplifies an area that critically needs input from different disciplines in order to realize their potential. Now is an opportune time to hold this workshop and undertake this challenging research due to recent advances in non-Boolean computing and the understanding of fundamental principles that underlie non-linear dynamical behavior in chemical systems. Importantly, we can exploit this synergy of cross-disciplinary interest and research to pave the way for creating computing materials. Working as a group, the members of the workshop will determine the ideal materials systems that can be used to perform computation and the appropriate computational techniques that can take advantage of these inherent materials properties. We workshop will also determine how to couple different energy domains (thermal, mechanical, optical, chemical) and external stimuli in order to drive the device. Moreover, we will attempt to establish routes for enabling autonomous functionality of the device. The ability to create Òmaterials that computeÓ will enable new systems that can interface with humans to provide tactile, temperature, and photonic inputs to smart clothing, robotic manipulators and possibly prosthetic limbs. This work can lead to a new research discipline in computing and sensory materials engineering that can transform human quality of life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810163
Entities
People
- Anna C. Balazs
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Pittsburgh