Tiny swarm robots for microscale manufacturing

boingboing ^ | Mon, Apr 21, 2014 | David Pescovitz

[Bobalu]

SRI International is creating coordinated systems of tiny ant-like robots that can build larger structures. The aim is a swarm of magnetically-controlled bugbots that could construct electronic devices, conduct chemistry for lab-on-a-chip applications, or do other micro scale manufacturing. It's part of the US Department of Defense's "Open Manufacturing" program.

[Bobalu]

This is a Darpa project. The video is very cool. I love the notion of swarms of tiny robots building things.

[Bobalu]

Direct link for the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL6e3co4Qqc

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Sounds great. But then you read "Why There Will Be A Robot Uprising" and you have to wonder.

[Nuc 1.1]

I like it too. Remember, tiny robots building things can easily be reprogrammed into tiny robots destroying things and eating you.

[Black Agnes]

Forget sending arty to your address, they can just send these little critters.

[ThunderSleeps]

See the book called “Prey.”

[tumblindice]

Crichton’s nano-robots, people would breathe them in, the little clouds of robots became self-aware (sort of), went rogue, don’t want to say much more, good read.

[gleeaikin]

Tiny robots ping.

[Nuc 1.1]

Indeed.

[Max in Utah]

Google “grey goo”.

[csvset]

Coming soon via a mini drone delivery service. An army of nano-bots.

[Black Agnes]

When I read this the first thing I thought of was ‘Breitbart’.

[Nuc 1.1]

Ah... Just came to me. I wasn’t quite sure what you ment this morning. Possible. I would think it is twenty to thirty years out... But they don’t tell me anything... so...possible.