Actually Clever Material Is Able To ‘Think’ For Itself And Respond Accordingly

As far as intuitive inventions go, this material takes the cake—it is able to make “cognitive” decisions for itself.

The US Air Force and Penn State University have worked together to create a fabric that so-called thinks and senses. Their study was first published in the Nature journal. 

Upon enduring physical stress, the medium is able to process it, understand what is being done, and intuitively respond to the action—somewhat like the human brain.

This new material is created from a soft polymer that is able to receive “digital strings of information” and can perform appropriate reactions. Integrated circuits that run on silicon semiconductors give the object the ability to capture external stress and turn it into electrical information.

In order to demonstrate the findings, the research team had the smart fabric perform advanced arithmetic.

The team intends to utilize the material for search-and-rescue systems as it is able to autonomously emit signals and even detect airborne infections when it is joined with other bio-hybrid matter.

The study was inspired by previous research conducted in 1938 by Claude Shannon, which combined advanced mechanical information processing and incorporated it into the fabric.

This new study has now found that, ultimately, any material could be able to think for itself. 

[via TechXplore and Interesting Engineering, cover image via Penn State University]