Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
even electromagnetic actuators. The ultimate challenge, however, is putting it
all together. An actuator alone is not quite enough, nor is an isolated battery.
The ultimate milestone of active multi-material printing would be the creation
of a complete robot that would walk out of the printer, batteries included.
The inal episode—from analog to digital
After the last episode, comes a an entirely new season—the biggest and most
ambitious, the transition from an analog to a digital world. Before going fur-
ther, we have to clarify something. The word “digital” has been overused. It
can mean different things in different contexts:
1.
Digital, meaning purely virtual, unembodied information—as in “physi-
cal versus digital,” for example a digital newspaper
2.
Digital, meaning electronic, programmable, as in “mechanical versus
digital,” such as a digital thermostat
3.
Digital, meaning made of discrete, discontinuous units, as in “analog
versus digital,” such as a digital clock
Confusion arises because digital computers enable all three—they at once
represent information virtually, electronically, and using discrete bits of ones
and zeros. But it's possible to have “digital” objects that exist in physical form,
yet maintain their digital nature in the other two senses of the word—they are
programmable, and they are composed of lots of tiny, discrete bits.
Analog versus digital material. Digital materials are made
of discrete physical bits called voxels.
