The Morphogenetic Path to Programmable Matter

The endpoint toward which reconfigurable systems should develop is programmable matter, that is, complex systems whose physical properties and structure can be controlled in a systematic way. This can be accomplished by recognizing that computational processes can be used to assemble and reconfigure complex, hierarchically structured systems. Programmable matter may be programmatically controlled externally or internally, which includes self-assembly. The best approach to the self-assembly of complex, hierarchical systems, such as future robots with capabilities comparable to those of animals, is by artificial morphogenesis, which adapts embryological morphogenesis to artificial systems. We review the requirements of self-assembling morphogenetic components.