Deformable materials with memory are changing AI 72　

The latest source of happiness is the quotation of a six-year-old teacher. One of the most popular is the passage "Foreigners see Journey to the West as a science fiction prophecy, Monkey King pulls out a hair and turns into countless monkeys like him, which is the earliest human cloning technology..."

It's Yefeiye. Different people have different opinions. However, if we really want to change everything in the world with a hairless hair, I'm afraid we can't achieve the "Six Learning" proficiency to the full level. We still have to rely on the progress of material science.

Today, we are going to promote the culture of new materials and bring you attention to a new liquid crystal deformable material invented recently by scientists from Rice University.

This rubber-like nanomaterial can be transformed from one complex shape to another by heating. It has a real elasticity of touch. It feels that the progress of "pulling out one hair and blowing out ten thousand monkeys" will come faster than that of "Sino-US cooperation". So, how on earth can such a magical function be realized?

What's the magic of new deformable materials?

Recently, Rafael Verdusk, a material scientist at Rice University, and Morgan Barnes, a graduate student, have designed a new polymer that uses liquid crystal elastomers to shape any complex shape when heated (80 C). More importantly, the deformation can be carried out in two directions.

The most common application scenario of liquid crystal elastomer (LCD) is liquid crystal television display. In the past, once the molecular arrangement of liquid crystal elastomers was stimulated by the outside world, the deformation of liquid crystal elastomers could be achieved by irreversible rewriting.

Scientists have added a photosensitive switch to the new variable material. When cooled, the molecules that form liquid crystals dominate, keeping them in a fixed shape. Once exposed to thermal stimulation, elastomers like rubber bands relax and begin to "melt" into a designed alternative.

Barnes made many samples, such as Lego blocks, a face, a rose and other complex shapes. When heated to about 80 C (176 degrees Fahrenheit), these objects would stretch out and collapse into a sheet of flat paper. After removing the heat, it will return to its original state in a few minutes.

This experiment seems simple, but in fact it is not so easy to achieve the interaction and equilibrium between liquid and solid.

For example, we can imagine squeezing liquid metals into any solid state.  However, it is not realistic to let the "work" be transformed directly into another solid shape. Often it needs to be re-turned into water and re-moulded.

With liquid crystal elastomers, you don't have to be so troublesome. As long as the "program" is set in advance, the polymer can complete the conversion of three-dimensional shapes under the stimulation of light and heat by virtue of its powerful "memory". Does that sound very impressive?

Interestingly, in August this year, Boulder University of Colorado published similar results in the Journal Progress in Science. Earlier, researchers at Zhejiang University also introduced new plastics that can be pre-shaped and freely transformed.

Why are materials scientists all over the world so keen on developing this new material? Perhaps behind this problem lies the key point that may affect the prospects of AI.

Learn to change seventy-two, AI can fly to the sky?

The impact of this new type of deformable material on AI can be found through the following four puzzles that plague the industry:

1. Problem of Universality of Robot Applications

In the past, we have talked about many micro-robots, especially bionic robots such as machine snakes, which can replace people to complete work in emergency rescue and special environment, and reduce the safety risk of human beings themselves. But the body made of hard metal greatly limits the adaptability of the robot to the field environment.

The research of structure and material restricts the imagination of engineers and the motion scene of soft robots. But the robot made of this material, when encountering obstacles, can change shape freely, be destroyed and be able to repair itself. That's the same kind of "venom" of easy carry.

2. Cost Dilemma of Intelligent Manufacturing

One of the problems that restrict the entry of 3D printing and intelligent machinery into large-scale production is the high cost of materials.

After all, every injection molding of conventional materials will break the original molecular structure completely, but liquid crystal elastomers can be recycled by virtue of "material memory".

As long as the "program" is set up, it can change many times according to the temperature and make the cost cheaper. The large-scale production of intelligent machines such as medical sensors, automatic stretching solar panels and deformable robots also opens up new possibilities.

3. Demand for Intelligent Production Industry Upgrading

The structural adjustment of Chinese traditional industries and the rapid development of emerging industries have brought the urgent need for the transformation and upgrading of production enterprises.

Italian scientists, for example, have designed clothes that can sense human sweat and automatically turn on and off the fabric on the back to cool or keep the body warm. However, if there is no innovative material as a prerequisite, it will fall into the embarrassing situation of "skillful women can't cook without rice".

The discovery of liquid crystal elastomers makes product innovation possible, and further promotes the extension and upgrading of the industrial chain from the application side. It attracts the traditional manufacturers to take the initiative to change and tap the commercial imagination brought by the introduction of deformed products into daily life.

4. The shortage of AI innovation

As we all know, AI systems need large-scale computing capacity to support, but at present there is a global imbalance between supply and demand of chips. Intel was so busy that it announced that it would cancel its agent business that even block chain companies could transform from mining to manufacturing AI chips. This shows how big the computing gap behind it is. The emergence of liquid crystal elastomers is expected to solve the problem of chip manufacturing capacity, thereby alleviating the shortage of computing power, chip price increases to the popularity of AI technology restrictions.

In a word, if AI is based on the comprehensive conditions of production, demand and cost, then the emergence of liquid crystal elastomer is like the introduction of pepper as a new food material into China in the 16th century. It changes not only the dietary habits of a small number of people, but also becomes a prerequisite for the emergence and prosperity of many cuisines.

What does deformable material mean to the public?

Of course, these are some of the changes that liquid crystal elastomers may bring to the AI industry.

For ordinary people, what kind of "good dishes" can be cooked by this new material? Is that the focus of our concern?

At present, LCD elastomers can bring many practical benefits, such as making soft robots, more precise operation in rescue, medical and other actions, to avoid secondary damage to the operating object;

For example, it can be used as an ideal material for some sensors. Measure the shear stress of diabetic foot as if it were embedded in shoes.

The equipment made of this kind of deformed material can be changed repeatedly, and it can save a lot of space. For example, deformable furniture, usually can be placed on the wall in a flat state, through heat trigger can make them automatically assemble into ideal size table or chair, can be called "decoration genius".

In addition, scientists'next research goal is to reduce the transition temperature of the material, which is expected to be controlled by body temperature in the future. In this way, the button function of the smart phone can be activated by touch, and the visually impaired patients can use it easily.

Maybe one day, each of us can have a "venom" cute or transformer, like Luffy can be infinitely extended rubber arm, home space can be as arbitrary as Lego building blocks, or "pull out a hair, blow out a million monkeys".

Or, technological breakthroughs do not depend on "letting the monkey die at the mouth" but on the progress of basic science to turn the 72-year-old childhood fantasy of Monkey King into a clear and tangible reality.