Utility Fog1

8/7/2019 Utility Fog1

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Introduction

Utility fog is a term suggested by Dr. John Storrs Hall to

describe a hypothetical collection of tiny robots together

performing a certain function.

It has a body about the size of a human cell and 12 arms

sticking out in all directions.

It can simulate to the same precisionas measured by the human senses

most of the physical properties.


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The main

property of the

Utility Fog is thatit can simulate

itself not being

there.

It can not only

recreate objects

but also people.

Fog People

The physical technology of an Utility fog is actually

quite conservative. The software is more

challenging.


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Modes of Operation

There are two modes of operation.

In native mode individual foglets move into different positions

and perform certain mechanical operations depending onwhat object it is forming.

In fog mode, the foglets do not move,

but act more like pixels on a televisionscreen - they pixelate.


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Design : How to build a Fog?

Most currently proposed nanotechnological designs are based

on carbon. For a foglet however, aluminum oxide is used.

Each Foglet has twelve arms, arranged as the faces of a

dodecahedron. The arms telescope rather than having joints.

The arms swivel on a universal joint at the base, and thegripper at the end cart rotate about the arms axis.

The gripper is a hexagonal structure with three fingers,mounted on alternating faces of the hexagon. Two Foglets

grasp hands in an interleaved six-finger grip. Since the fingers

are designed to match the end of the other arm, this providesa relatively rigid connection.


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A Foglet


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The Grip


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Foglets The Internal Schematic


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Communication and Control

Using a RISC design allows a single processor to control a

100 kHz arm; using auxiliary controllers will let it do all 12easily.

A problem face here is heat dissipation.

As long as the computers can go into a standby mode whenthe Fog is standing still this is quite workable.

If the Fog were configured as a store-and-forward network it

would be very inefficient. Instead virtual circuits using optical

repeaters can be implemented.


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Properties


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Limitations

Anything requiring hard metal

Anything requiring both high strength and low volume.

Anything requiring high heat.

Anything requiring molecular manipulation or chemical

transformation: Fog cannot simulate food, or anything elsethat is destined to be broken down chemically.


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Advantages & Applications

Safety.

An appropriately built house filled with Fog could evenprotect its inhabitants from the physical effects of a nuclear

weapon within 95% or so of its lethal blast area.

Flexibility.

It could be used form a simple table. Then when you get tiredof that simple table the robots could simply be made to shift

around a little and you'd have an elegant table instead.


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Summary

Utility fog is a term suggested by Dr. John Storrs Hall to

describe a nanotechnological collection of tiny robots

together performing a certain function

It is a substance of the future that would give you the powers

of

1. Creation

2.Levitation

3. Manipulation

4. Teleportation


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Utility Fog1

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