ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Programmable matter

Dear little one,

Programmable matter is a type of material that can change its shape or form to become something different based on instructions given by a computer program. It's like playing with a set of blocks or Lego bricks, but these blocks can move and change their shape by themselves!

Imagine if you had a box filled with tiny cubes that are all connected to each other, like a puzzle. These cubes have small motors, sensors, and computers inside. By sending instructions to the blocks, like "move" or "rotate," they can connect or disconnect with each other to form different shapes, like a chair or a table.

But how do these instructions reach the blocks? It's through some kind of system called a control system. This system can be connected to a computer program, which sends signals and commands to the blocks to make them form a new shape or move to a certain location.

One day, programmable matter could be used to make all sorts of things. For example, in medicine, it could be used to form a pill that can change its shape to release different doses of medication over time. Or in architecture, programmable matter could be used to make a building that can change its shape based on the weather or the amount of sunlight it receives.

So, programmable matter is like magic building blocks that can change their shape and form based on instructions given by a computer program. Isn't that amazing?