So-called self-assembly technology. When I saw this:
It naturally made me go back to this:
Skylar Tibbits is a trained architect, designer and computer scientist whose research currently focuses on developing self-assembly technologies for large-scale structures in the physical environment.
Skylar, who is also a TED2012 Senior Fellow, recently presented a new concept at TED2013: 4D printing – where materials can be reprogrammed to self-assemble into new structures. Apparently, this is just the tip of the iceberg in manufacturing with minimum energy consumption.
Yet: as we assemble these great technologies, we tend not to think of the impact of replacing the previous "John Henry" model and economy with the newer steam engine. I'll never say to not do tech, but we need to do it with the ripple effect on society as a whole in mind: class structure, education, the increasing wealth gap, etc. I could see this impacting construction jobs in the 22nd Century, as in there wouldn't be as much need for manual labor (as John found out the hard way).
Engineering.com: MIT Unveils 4D Printing
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