SCI-TECH 19SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015www.punemirror.in/techpunemirror.feedback@gmail.comFIRST EXAFLOP SUPERCOMPUTER PROJECT BEGINSWork on the worlds first supercomputer with an exaflop of processing power has begun in theUnited States, thanks to an executive order from President Barack Obama. The supercomputerwill outperform Chinas Tianhe 2, which is currently the worlds most powerful supercomputer.

A new study has shown that high- frequency vibrations can cause bricksto self-assemble into a larger 3D object,a finding that may one day help doaway with the need for factory assembly lines.

The findings, published in the journal, Scientific Reports, signal a key advancement inprogrammable self-assembly, which was previ-ously thought of only being possible using onedimensional or two dimensional objects.

The research team, led by Dr Ido Bacheletfrom the Institute for Nanotechnology and Ad-vanced Materials at Bar-Ilan University in Israel,used an algorithm from the Computational Ge-ometry Algorithm Library (CGAL) as part of a de-sign that allowed 18 tetrahedral bricks to self-as-semble into a larger 3D cylinder.

Assembly rules are encoded by topographiccues imprinted on brick faces while attractionbetween bricks is provided by embedded mag-nets, the researchers said in their paper. Thebricks can then be mixed in a container and agi-tated, leading to properly assembled objects athigh yields and zero errors.

They continued, Improved designs in-spired by our system could lead to successful im-plementation of self-assembly at the macro-scale, allowing rapid, on-demand fabrication ofobjects without the need for assembly lines.

The ability for life to self-assemble is some-thing that continues to puzzle scientists: pro-teins, viruses, living cells and multi-cellular organisms are all examples of systems in whichparts are bonded to each other through attrac-tion to form a structure or pattern.

Hamza Bendemra, a research engineer at theAustralian National University, who was not in-volved in the study, said the research of 3D print-ed assemblies is remarkable.

The algorithm was inspired by the molecu-lar assembly of the DNA, he said. But he added that more research was needed to address challenges of time, space and safety forthe model to be more efficient at forming and re-maining together.

In the study, a two-brick assembly took lessthan a minute to self-assemble. However, an 18-piece assembly required over two hours to per-form the same feat, he further stated.

The components are subject to high vibra-tions and collide over and over again until theyfit in the right combination. It would be a challenge to implement such a method withmaterials with low strength and poor impact tol-erance without causing damage, Bendemraadded.

Bernard Meade, head of research computeservices at the University of Melbourne, saidwhile the initial research is limited to buildingsmall objects, future demonstrations combin-ing other techniques, such as embedded elec-tronics, could make the rapid construction oflarger devices viable.

For example, ordering a smart phone withspecific components, automatically assembledand shrink-wrapped with a protective coating,

might take only a few minutes and no longer re-quire thousands of phones to be pre-made. Per-haps furniture scale production might be possi-ble in future imagine flatpack IKEA but I thinkit would be hard to get to something the size of ahouse.

The next step in developing this study forconstruction and manufacturing industries is touse both magnetic forces and adhesives to en-sure the assembly stays in place.

Bendemra agreed. The researchers did agreat job at adding topographic cues to ensure aunique combination only would lead to the piec-es locking in. Their footage clearly shows thatpieces that collide in a non-desired formation de-tach until they lock-in as planned, he said.

The number of pieces involved in the assembly and the nature of the materials beingused (including the magnet) in more complexassemblies could limit the use of such a method, Bendemra explained.

Self-building 3D printed brickshint at future of constructionPune Mirror Bureaupunemirror.feedback@gmail.comTWEET @ThePuneMirror

New technology uses only high-frequency vibrations to assemble individual parts, whichcould revolutionise manufacturing and make a future without assembly lines possible

An 18-brick assembly took over two hours to complete; so large-scale projects arent yet feasible

A stronomers at NASA have confirmed thediscovery of the nearest rocky planet outside our solar system, largerthan Earth and a potential gold mine of sciencedata.

Called HD 219134b, this exoplanet orbitstoo close to its star to sustain life, but is a mere 21light-years away. The planet itself can't be seendirectly even by telescopes, but the star it orbitsis visible to the naked eye in dark skies near theNorth Star. HD 219134b is also the closest exoplanet to Earth to be detected transiting, orcrossing in front of, its star, making it ideal for research, NASA says.

Transiting exoplanets are worth theirweight in gold because they can be extensively

characterised, said Michael Werner, the pro-ject scientist for the Spitzer mission at NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory. This exoplanet willbe one of the most studied for decades to come.

Only a small fraction of exoplanets can bedetected transiting their stars due to their rela-tive orientation to Earth. When the orientationis just right, the planet's orbit places it betweenits star and Earth, dimming the detectable lightof its star. It's this dimming of the star that is ac-tually captured by observatories and can revealnot only the size of the planet but also cluesabout its composition.

Rocky planets such as this one, with bigger-than-Earth proportions, belong to a growingclass of planets termed super-Earths. PMB

NASA discovers closest exoplanet 21 light-years away

A silhouette of HD 219134b in front of its star

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RACE THE SUNPreviously released on PC and consoles, Race the Sun is agame where youre racing against time. You control a solaraircraft and your aim is to race towards the sun before itsets. Thats easier said than done because the whole worldis conspiring against you, with perilous obstacles in yourway. The game is designed for short bursts and follows the

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F acebooks drone project, through which it hopesto provide internet access to the remotest parts ofthe world, is finally ready for real-world testing.The companys aerospace team based in the UK

has completed work on the Aquila, a high-altitude,long-endurance aircraft that resembles a stealth bomber. Built using a carbon-fibre frame, the drone islight in weight despite its 737 wingspan.

Smaller versions of the Aquila had been tested be-fore, but this is the first time a full-scale model hasbeen made for testing.

Meanwhile, Facebooks laser communicationsteam in California achieved a breakthrough in its laser beaming technology, through which it can deliver data at a rate of tens of Gb per second. Thatsten times faster than the state-of-the-art in the industry, Facebook says.

The laser tech is also built for accuracy. Facebookclaims it can target the size of a coin from more than10 miles away.

When combined, the laser technology can beused to connect Aquila drones to the ground and toother drones in the sky. This will allow Facebook tocreate a stratospheric network that will allow it to deliver high-speed internet access to parts of theworld where ground infrastructure is lacking.

Once in the air, an Aquila drone will be able to circle a remote region for up to 90 days, beaming internet connectivity down from an altitude of60,000 to 90,000 feet.

According to Facebook, 10 per cent of the worldspopulation lives in remote locations with no internetinfrastructure, adding that infrastructure technolo-gies used in most parts of the world like fibre-opticcables, microwave repeaters and cell towers maypose a challenge to set up in a cost-effective way inthese regions.

Aside from the Aquila project, Facebook is also exploring opportunities through satellites and terrestrial solutions, which it hopes to develop to thepoint where they become viable for service providersand mobile operators to use economically. PMB

Facebook ready totest internet drone

Product: MirrorPuneTB PubDate: 01-08-2015 Zone: Pune Edition: 1 Page: PMIRPG19 User: budhyan1012 Time: 07-31-2015 21:48 Color: CMYK

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