Abstract
Given the increasing complexity and importance of the physical structures that surrounds our everyday environments; buildings, transportation routes, machines, computers and almost every other physical object that humans interact with, the processes of assembly are inevitably caught in a battle of time, complexity and human/robot processing power. If we are to keep up with this exponential growth in complexity and time we need to develop automated assembly logics embedded within our material parts to aid in construction. The following line of large-scale, programmable matter, robotic folding chain systems are aimed at re-envisioning our current construction processes that constrain our productivity and economic capabilities. The MacroBot and Decibot are recent developments in the line of programmable matter, 1D robotic folding chain systems. They contains 3 locking positions of rotation (-120, 0 and 120 degrees), full programmability/functionality at every node and the ability to construct any given 1D, 2D or 3D geometry from a single 1D input string. The latest version, the Passive Folder, aimes at scalability for large-scale structrues and thus attempts to save construction time and cost while eliminating its reliance on electromechanical systems. Any desired geometry can be written as a string of angles or simple instructions for the user. 1D folding chain systems have the ability to revitalize our current construction industry and provide incredible potential for increasing productivity while staying above the exponential complexity and time demands in our physical environment. This technology offers unprecedented opportunities for future infrastructure and paints a new portrait for our environment and urban landscape.
