Ninja Bits: Imagine that you are launching game application upon your smartphone, your phone can automatically morph into the shape of a game console. And if you receive a text message and have to respond, it will transform itself back into the shape of a phone.
Advanced technology researchers at the University of Bristol, which is located in the United Kingdom, have designed a new technology-based device that will eventually one day in the near future do just that. They are calling it the “Cubimorph”. This is a small modular device that holds the capabilities to change itself into different shapes, depending upon the desire function of the user that is holding it. This new gadgets designers are stating that this new technology can in fact pave the way for an even greater adaptable hand-held gadgets in the near future.
The researchers had recently presented their gadget at the last IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s, which is the largest conference, and the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, that was held last May on the 16-21 located in Stockholm, Sweden.
As we look into present, and even future, technology concepts, we are seen that several researchers are doing a new form of math “Man + Machine”.
There is a large growth in the interest upon how humans and their respective computers can interact with each other, and more especially with just exactly how the modular devices, such as the Cubimorph, can eventually assist in bridging the gap that lays between what machines and humans are capable of performing.
“I’m very interested in how, as humans, we manipulate things,” As stated by Anne Roudaut, who is a lecturer inside of the Department of Computer Science in the University of Bristol. She is also the lead researcher of the upcoming technology device, Cubimorph Project. “When we see a bottle of water on the table, we know exactly how we can use our hand to grasp it, or if you see a door handle, you knowe exactly what kind of movement you need to do to actually open the door.” She continues adding.
Roudaut has said that she is aiming to introduce this new, and very wide, range of functionality directly into machines. This would then allow a device that will be able to automatically manipulate itself in order to achieve optimized performance with and Easy-to-Use system that is respective to the holder.
This new device is a strong resemblance onto the popular hand-held past-time game “Rubik’s Cube”. And the Cubimorph is created using a string of several connected “Small-Cubes”, and each of the surfaces are covered with a tiny touch screen mechanism. These cubes are also nested upon hinges in which then allows the automatic movement across any of the perspective edges, which is controlled by 2 different motors.
There is an extremely detailed algorithm in which is used in order for the device to be able to transform itself seamlessly as it goes from one shape onto another. This is done by mapping out the desired path in which the Cubimorph will use in order to take the change as it transforms from shape to shape. The respective user holding the device will not have to even think about the process of transforming, and this is designed so that none of the parts of the device will collide with each other, which then allows for no chance of the rotating pieces to “Snap Shut” on the user’s fingers, according to researchers.
“I think there [are] actually plenty of applications. The game industry is one of the – maybe the most – obvious one,” Roudaut told Live Science. “You’re playing a game on your phone, and the shape changes to resemble more a game controller, so you would grasp it in a better way.” She continues adding.
This new line of technology can also provide a strong educational benefit, according to the researchers. An example would be using the device to visualize a section of a map or even different terrains.
“One very interesting aspect would be to adapt the shape to different morphology,” Added Roudaut. “For example, for kids or ederly people, or people who have some impairment, we can just change the shape so that it fits what people can do with their hands.”
While the researchers are already starting to envision several different, and potentially useful, uses for this new technology, there are already challenges for them to overcome. Such as finding the correct algorithm this will need in order to fully work in an optimized manner.
“There are some algorithms that are physically transforming a chain of modules into one shape to another, and we thought, ‘Great, we can use it,’” stated Roudaut. “The problem is that these algorithms go from one shape, to a straight line and then fall back into another shape.”
This is an issue here that there is any means of a future for this technology, the complicated version of Cubimorph will then consist of nearly 1,000, if not more, squares. This wouldn’t be very practical in order for the device to be able to “Morph” into an extremely long line, following the next shape shifting aspect. This would prove to more so true in the event that users are walking down the street or even communicating in a crowded environment. Taking this aspect into consideration, they are designing the technology is what would make this thing really complicated.
The potential vision of this Cubimorph can be used by everyone to be able to create whatever object they want. Provided that in roughly 15 to 20 years, a large corporation, such as Samsung, Nokia, or even Apple, created such a mechanism that is capable of such sophisticated transformation. This would then allow any programmer, or active user, to be able to customize the entire gadget in their own liking.
Roudaut states that this device is ideally would be similar to how the game design currently works out. In which allows people to download their favorite applications which will then allow anyone to create their own game.
Roudaut is aiming to have this new technology ready for purchase in 10 years from now, however the researchers are also researching for other helpful insights that comes from other robotic teams.
“We decided to present this paper at the robotic conference because we thought this project had quite a lot to gain from the robotics sector,” Roudaut states, “There is a lot of work to make this a reality, but it’s really exciting, because there are a lot of new challenges and new questions that have not been investigated so far.”
You can view a video from YouTube below demonstrating the Cubimorph in action;
Sources: Live Science |
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