The advancement of our species is critically dependent upon a growing knowledge of materials and the ability to fabricate components, devices and tools. However, our molding, machining, shaping and assembly processes are ecologically unsustainably in the medium to long term. The modern alternatives surpass our industrial past by wasting far less energy and material whilst achieving higher levels of recycling. Amongst the key techniques are 3D printing and the programming of composite man made materials.
A century ago no one could have guessed why we would become so dependent upon the purity of silica, silicon, gallium, carbon, metals and plastics. Today that has become very clear, and we can look towards a future of monolithic integration that combines physical and intelligent properties. In this presentation we examine the obvious pending changes and those just over the horizon.
2. Human Knowledge
Mostly gained by the mastery
and exploitation of natural
materials over thousands of
years...
Thursday, 28 March 13
3. From Swords to
Instruments
of Science...
...leading to innovation and invention spanning
organics, inorganics, minerals, plants, animals,
gasses, fluids, ores, crystals...
Thursday, 28 March 13
4. Human Ingenuity
Leading Production Nano
Edge Chips -Tech
Evolutionary / Exploration Dimension Line
> 1 nm > 20 nm > 100 nm > 1000 nm
Atom Virus Crystal Bacteria
Natural Evolution
Thursday, 28 March 13
5. We have created a world
where we the manufacture
goods in vast quantitates at
consistently high quality...
...but now face the limitations of
the planet !
Thursday, 28 March 13
6. A of world
ubiquitous
computing
connectivity
communication
fixed and mobile
Thursday, 28 March 13
7. A world of man-made materials that
do not occur naturally in
nature...
. ..but where our core
knowledge now spans atom,
molecule grain and fibre...
Thursday, 28 March 13
8. Probably our biggest challenge!
Sustainability cannot be realized with old
technologies & the industry models of
the past...
Thursday, 28 March 13
9. Continuing to do what we have always done, but more efficiently, will
not solve our ‘green’ issues
Thursday, 28 March 13
10. Changing all the lightbulbs is just
not enough !
We have to think and act in radically
different ways...and we have to exploit
new materials...
Thursday, 28 March 13
11. We h a v e t o a d o p t s y m b i o t i c
solutions...to work with nature instead of
against her !
We have to move from:
‘Food to Waste’ cycles,
to
...to ‘Food to Waste to Food’...
We have to move away from:
‘producing more and more for the few’
to
‘producing sufficient for the many’
Thursday, 28 March 13
12. IT
doesn’t
have
to be
this
way
Thursday, 28 March 13
13. Just suppose...we
could go from Membrane Battery
integrating boxes by Communications Film
hand and machine Computing Film
to printing... Interface Film
Thursday, 28 March 13
14. The printing of static and
moving parts, tools & complex
components is rapidly going
main stream...
Thursday, 28 March 13
16. Boeing are printing over 300 piece parts for the DreamLiner
Thursday, 28 March 13
17. The US military are deploying
3D printers on the front line
and laboratories
Thursday, 28 March 13
18. The first printed cars have been
produced...
Self healing body panels ?
Programmable colour schemes ?
Batteries integrated into the body shell ?
Thursday, 28 March 13
21. And then there are the new
high performance materials such
as Nano - Steels and Alloys
Stronger, harder, lighter by 5 - 10 x fold
Lower oxidation rates - and longer life
Use far less to achieve far more
Thursday, 28 March 13
22. As things get smaller we can
achieve greater purity and strength
Forming nano-tubes
Diameter > 1nm
Strength > 5 -10 x steel
Electrical Current Density 1000 x Copper
Growing nano-tubes
Pulling nano-tubes and twisting
into fibres
Thursday, 28 March 13
23. In the future we could be
shipping bits instead of
atoms:
- Designs
- Solutions
- Expertise
- Knowledge
- Wisdom ??
Thursday, 28 March 13
24. But biology says we can program
materials to do our bidding...if only we
can master the genome - protein
relationships...
Thursday, 28 March 13
25. A breathing
lung grown
of proteins
and stem
cells...
Thursday, 28 March 13
26. Replacement parts can now be
grown using the hosts cells
with no immune system
rejection...
...many die
through secondary infections...
Thursday, 28 March 13
27. that infe cted us
cer : som ething
Can
OR: a
communications
problem between
genome and proteins ?
Thursday, 28 March 13
28. This is all converging in
sensors, robotic & human
prosthetics...
Thursday, 28 March 13
29. Direct connection of man & machine
- biological control of robotic elements...
Thursday, 28 March 13
30. Direct connection of
man & machine -
mac hine control of
biological elements...
Thursday, 28 March 13
31. Nano sensors can now detect a single molecule of a substance in
near real time...
Thursday, 28 March 13
32. Genomic profiling at the doctors office
will revolutionize medicine
Thursday, 28 March 13
33. We need a symbiotic relationship with our material world and the
help of intelligent machines to find workable
solutions whilst minimizing waste
and energy usage
It may also be the only way to analyze and
cope with complexity, and the data explosion,
in a world with everyone and everything
on-line, whilst enabling us to make good
and sound predictions, and wise decisions
Thursday, 28 March 13
34. In the next phase of technology and industry the winning
companies and people will sure.... risk takers, and the
What we know for be the
ones who dared to be different...
Thursday, 28 March 13
35. COCHRANE
a s s o c i a t e s
Thank You
ca-global.org
cochrane.org.uk
1995
Thursday, 28 March 13