A cross-disciplinary research lab at MIT inventing self-assembly and programmable material technologies aimed at reimagining construction, manufacturing, product assembly and performance. Self-Assembly is a process by which disordered parts build an ordered structure through local interaction. We have demonstrated that this phenomenon is scale-independent and can be utilized for self-constructing and manufacturing systems at nearly every scale. We have also identified the key ingredients for self-assembly as a simple set of responsive building blocks, energy and interactions that can be designed within nearly every material and machining process available. Self-assembly promises to enable breakthroughs across every applications of biology, material science, software, robotics, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, construction, the arts, and even space exploration. The Self-Assembly Lab is working with academic, commercial, nonprofit, and government partners, collaborators, and sponsors to make our self-assembling future a reality.
Robotics
amana prototyping lab
“FIG." is a creative platform for the exploration of visual expressions with up-rising technology. By featuring cutting-edge technology, we instantly visualize and materialize new ideas for both social and business problem solving. Furthermore, "FIG.” functions as an open innovation community. This community accelerates the collaboration of various kinds of creative fields, such as film, graphic, photography and engineering etc. It creates new expressions and core values.
David Bowen
David Bowen (US, 1975) is a studio artist and educator who creates kinetic, robotic and interactive sculptural works. Bowen’s work is concerned with aesthetics that result from reactive and generative processes as they relate to the intersections between natural and mechanical systems.