The inspiration was from the Aerobes. The first time I saw it, I think it was like a jellyfish, no matter the shape or movements. According to those, I designed a jellybot in 2040.
There is a soft material so called jelly-tissue, which is consist of glue-ish elements with stomas like a sponge, the connecting part of each stoma is super thin. This kind of material could float above the water when it touches the surface of it and float in the air at the same level of the clouds, right in the middle of troposphere and stratosphere, or ‘hanging’ in the air. Kind of like foam and scrubbed bubble. It could grow by itself, endlessly, because it could transform the water and oxgen in the air into the same components it contains, though artificial. And it could also be compressed into super small arrange.
I put a membrane on the outside to shape them into jellyfish-like bot, also with the tentacles. Once I built it out, surprisingly, the tentacles could autonomously swinging in the air and slowly raise the whole ‘body’ up. To experiment, I shut them in a glass box, and found out that they could change the density and the size of the stomas when the humidity is high, it would be more vague when you look through the texture. I took them out to see how high they could fly, supervised by a drone. It’s interesting that they stuck in the middle of troposphere and stratosphere when the sky is clear, hanging in the air when the humidity climbs high and finally touch the groud, but mostly the surface of the water, when it rains. Also, as the tissues grow, the membrane will split into two to hold more of them, so that they could form their own system in the air and act as a sign like dragonfly. When the membrane reaches the biggest tension, it would shrink into a ball in fist size and slowly land, either be absorbed by the earth or dissolved by water, containing the tissue inside. It could be used to detect the weather and co-exsist with human beings in a friendly way!
This is a picture of the jellybot generated by AI.
Two Questions:
First excerpt
What can we learn from the comparison of behaviours between soft materials and human?
The comparison between the behavior of soft materials and human behavior reveals a dialectic between decentralized and centralized intelligence. Soft materials like Physarum polycephalum showcase how distributed, unconscious processes can yield intelligent, adaptive responses, relying on direct interaction with the environment without the need for a central control system. In contrast, human behavior, though often centralized in the brain, benefits from conscious awareness, memory, and abstract reasoning, allowing for complex problem-solving and deliberate choices. Yet, this dichotomy is not absolute; humans also exhibit embodied cognition, where the body directly influences thought and action, while soft materials highlight the potential for intelligence to emerge through simple, decentralized means. This suggests that both forms of intelligence—distributed and centralized—are complementary rather than opposing, with each having unique advantages depending on the context. The synthesis of these ideas challenges us to reconsider traditional notions of intelligence and autonomy, acknowledging that complex behavior can arise from both conscious deliberation and unconscious, adaptive systems.
Second excerpt
What does it mean to integrate intelligence directly into materials(to be smart), eliminating reliance on external electronic systems? How does this new design concept change our traditional understanding of “machines” and “intelligence”?
The design concept of integrating intelligence directly into materials represents a novel approach to smart technology, eliminating the reliance on external electronic systems and embedding sensing, responding, and adapting capabilities within the material itself. This approach transcends traditional smart models, liberating intelligence from electronic hardware and control systems, and instead embedding it in the physical properties and inherent mechanisms of the material. This decentralized intelligence transforms our traditional understanding of machines and smart technology, blurring the boundaries between machines and materials, and positioning intelligence not only in computation and data processing but also in the natural adaptation and interaction of materials with their environment.
Smart materials offer a more natural and seamless user experience, automatically adjusting their functions in response to environmental changes and reducing dependence on external energy and complex electronic systems. This approach also enhances sustainability and efficiency by lowering energy consumption and reducing electronic waste. Additionally, it broadens the definition of “intelligence,” extending it from traditional logical computation to dynamic physical responses, making intelligence a core characteristic of the material itself rather than an added feature of machinery. Artists and designers can use these materials to create more interactive and creative works, blending traditional elements with modern technology to deliver entirely new artistic experiences.
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