From Conventional to Programmable Matter Systems: A Review of Design, Materials, and Technologies

Programmable matter represents a system of elements whose interactions can be programmed for a certain behavior to emerge (e.g., color, shape) upon suitable commands (e.g., instruction, stimuli) by altering its physical characteristics. Even though its appellation may refer to a morphable physical material, programmable matter has been represented through several approaches from different perspectives (e.g., robots, smart materials) that seek the same objective: controllable behavior such as smart shape alteration. Researchers, engineers, and artists have expressed interest in the development of smart modeling clay as a novel alternative to conventional matter and classical means of prototyping. Henceforth, users will be able to do/undo/redo forms based on computed data (CAD) or interactions (sensors), which will help them unlock more features and increase the usefulness of their products. However, with such a promising technology, many challenges need to be addressed, as programmable matter relies on energy consumption, data transmission, stimuli control, and shape formation mechanisms. Furthermore, numerous devices and technologies are created under the name of programmable matter, which may pose ambiguity to the control strategies. In this study, we determine the basic operations required to form a shape, then review different realizations using the shape shifting ability of programmable matter and their fitting classifications, and finally discuss potential challenges.