I just came across an article about Claytronics and it really got me thinking of the future and direction of 3D. I always say there will be endless list of 3d graphics jobs out there and integrated in almost every field. The inventors are suggesting it is kind of like Floam, but with full interactivity from both a tactile input or from a computer interface. Claytronics are basically minicomputers housed in a tiny sphere shaped objects, which can be controlled and stick together with each over by little electromagnets. It is kind of like a 3D printer, but it could change in real-time both shape and color. I think it could have endless applications from medical and engineering to entertainment.
I shared this with my students and then had a classroom discussion on how Claytronics could be used from the perspective of a computer modeler/artist. The inventors are predicting that you can literally have an interactive model and be able to modify it with your hand as if you had a “real” liquify tool. Very Cool!
Check it out!
Here is the main site:
Here is a video advertisement for claytronics:
Claytronics are featured in the video from ETV (Engineering TV)
