Communications of the ACM
Self-Building 3D Printed Bricks Hint at Future Without Assembly Lines
Researchers have demonstrated that an algorithm may be used to show that high frequency vibrations can cause bricks to self-assemble into a three-dimensional object.
Credit: Adar Hacohen
Bar-Ilan University researchers have used an algorithm to show that high frequency vibrations can cause bricks to self-assemble into a larger three-dimensional object, a breakthrough they say could eventually make factory assembly lines obsolete.
The new system works by encoding assembly rules on brick faces that have magnets embedded inside them. "The bricks can then be mixed in a container and agitated, leading to properly assembled objects at high yields and zero errors," according to the researchers.
The researchers were inspired by the molecular assembly of the DNA molecule.
During testing, they showed a two-brick assembly took less than a minute to self-assemble, but an 18-piece assembly required more than two hours to perform the same feat.
Although the initial research is limited to building small objects, future demonstrations combining other techniques, such as embedded electronics, could make the rapid construction of larger devices viable, says University of Melbourne researcher Bernard Meade. "Perhaps furniture scale production might be possible in future--imagine flatpack IKEA--but I think it would be hard to get to something the size of a house," he notes.
The researchers say the next step to developing this technology for the manufacturing and construction industries is to use both magnetic forces and adhesives to ensure the assembly stays in place.
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