AS SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIRTUAL REALITY MERGE, SHAPESHIFTING TECHNOLOGY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
MIT's new invention, the Materiable shapeshifting device–yes, a shapeshifter (a sci-fi comparison is not inappropriate here)–is both figuratively and literally making waves. And these waves will eventually touch every industry.
But before we speculate about how this shapeshifter might someday change your business, let's break down what this device actually does and how it works.
WHAT THE ‘MATERIABLE' SHAPESHIFTING INTERFACE DOES
The keyword is materiable. It's not just the name of the invention. It summarizes its function.
A shapeshifting interface that is “materiable” renders dynamic material properties when someone touches it. The Materiable, in this case, is made up of dozens and dozens of small 3-D printed “pins,” as MIT calls them. (Though they look more like small blocks.) These pins measure displacement, and they are programmed to render a certain dynamic material property such as the ripple that occurs in water when you touch it or the springy bounce-back of a rubber surface when you lean your weight against it. It can render properties such as elasticity and viscosity, to name a couple.
For example, it's programmed to simulate the material dynamic property of water, this is what happens: as you stand over the vast array of blocks, it looks deceiving, as if there's just a box of dozens of blocks lined up and fit snugly against each other. But then you reach out and touch the bed of blocks, and they respond as if you have just touched the surface of a pond. They ripple and shudder from the point of pressure where your finger dipped in, and the rippling continues until it naturally slows and fades as it would on a real lake. You forget that you're looking at rows of blocks.
WHY THE MATERIABLE CLOUD AFFECT EVERY INDUSTRY
So how will the Materiable change the world? Here are some of its practical applications, some of which have obvious connections to B2B or B2C interests:
- Test material behavior: It allows material scientists and designers to test the behavior of materials before acquiring those materials for your product, which could save money if those materials are costly. You can test the materials on the Materiable and know which one will work best before spending a dime on them.
- Geosciences: it can simulate a direct physical interaction with multiple materials in a geoscientific setting, such as understanding how water would run down a mountain by recreating the conditions on a smaller model in the Materiable.
- Educational exploration of materials: It can simulate the body of an animal or a human, so that the person can interact with it for medical understanding. In MIT's video it shows the Materiable replicating the dynamic material properties of a turtle's fin and shell, a human torso, and a human's muscular and skeletal systems.
- Human-computer interaction: It facilitates physical interaction with your computer, similar to the Iron Man films and Jarvis, where Iron Man's computer work was all done with 3-D objects that he could physically manipulate. For example, in MIT's video, the model of a city created in a computer can be replicated and adjusted in real-time using the Materiable interface. It's not as fancy or flashy as Iron Man, but it looks surprisingly similar.
- User Studies: It allows you to evaluate user perception of materials that will be used in products. In this context, the Materiable is essentially providing a way to test certain experiential, tactile elements of products before committing to full production.
- Physical interface for virtual reality entertainment: This application is a no-brainer, and it will probably be the one that reaches popular culture first. The Materiable can replicate, in real-time, the dynamic material properties of objects seen in virtual reality. For example, when someone touches water, the shapeshifting interface can render the movement of the water when it is disturbed. It can also render any other material, whether it be an item or a person, so you can actually touch the material of the things and the people in the virtual reality.
These applications above are a small sampling of what could be done with this new technology. This invention could likely change every industry. Of course, any widespread impact on the business world is still years away. The amazing tech breakthrough that the Materiable represents is just beginning to take shape and it is something we'll all want to keep on our radar.
