Phases

In phase I of the project, we will simplify some of the energy harvesting problems and the programming and communication problems by having the lablets interact not with one-another but with a nano-structured docking surface (which will be connected electrically to a personal computer). The transient reaction chambers will then be made by association between free floating lablets and the surface (actually lablets embedded in the surface), rather than between arbitrary pairs of lablets. Power will be coupled to the solution lablets by capacitative coupling and stored in an integrated supercap. 

In phase II of the project, we shall extend association to include solution lablet-pairs and thus to reaction chambers formed between pairs of autonomous lablets. A surface will still be employed to program and power up the lablets, e.g. capacitively, but lablet-lablet pair interactions will be the focus of attention. We will investigate also domino style lateral transfer of chemicals between neighboring lablets on the surface.

In phase III, solar or electrochemical power and optical programming may be used to remove the docking surface altogether and provide full 3D scalability. Also in this phase, we will investigated ternary interactions between lablets, in the form of free floating domino double lablets that can bind to two singlet lablets. This will allow reactor contents to be transferred directly between lablets.

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