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SAN FRANCISCO--Intel is trying to see if millions of tiny robots can work together to create a coffee cup, or a model of a truck. Intel's lab in Pittsburgh, affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University, is showing off a technology concept at the Intel Developer Forum here this week called Dynamic Physical Rendering, which could ultimately lead to a shape-shifting fabric.Apply the right voltage and software program and the flat piece of fabric turns into a 3D model of a car. Change those parameters and it transforms into a cube. Dynamic Physical Rendering has grown out of the ongoing Claytronics project...

Threads that think Dec 8th 2005From The Economist print editionMaterials: The incorporation of sensors and controls into clothing is the first step towards a new realm of “smart fabrics” IT COULD give the term “power suit” a whole new meaning. Getting dressed a few years from now, you may find yourself putting on more than mere fabric. Your clothes may by then sport electronic sensors and tiny computers. As you walk out of the door, you will be not just fashionably attired, but digitally enhanced—a living, breathing node on the internet. This prospect will delight some people and horrify others....