The Matter Machine

Nanotechnology for Disassembly

We're only at the beginning of nanotechnology - a lot still needs to be discovered. One of the main challenges at the moment is that the nanoparticles are too small to be manufactured through machines as we know, as it isn't possible to build a machine small enough to build anything with the nanoparticles. The solution to this would be to work like nature; chemistry determents what particles have to do at a certain moment. To know what compound creates a desired reaction is extremely difficult. This so-called self-assembly is what scientist are working on at the moment.

Whilst this research is amazing and should be continued, it seems to me that just as before a 'take-make-dispose' culture defines the research and later commercial process. The other half of the circle, mainly recycling and disassembly, seems to be - yet again - neglected.

I think a minimal lifestyle is a good way to solve this problem on the customer end. However, living with 100 objects or less is a very difficult thing to do. Living with a certain amount of material on the other hand is a very alluring perspective and could make this lifestyle achievable for more people. In this line I propose a 'break down & build up system’, as a service anyone can sign up for. Within the system your scanned objects and amount of matter (elements) will be kept. Which you can use again at any time to create a different objects.

The aim of my design is to show the amazing opportunities that rise when we are able to break down objects much easier. And urge scientist to work on self-disassembly as much as they work on self-assembly.

PS: Cory Doctorow's book brilliantly discribes a possible future and what could happen if we have access to such a machine is his novel 'walkaway'. I read the book a couple of months after this project, and I really like the future he sketches. If possible, I'll would like to play a part in those who make it a reality.

"We would like to see you really embrace the different workshops and take more risks. You clearly are a very talented individual yet we are sometimes missing the extra level of ambition in your projects that will take you and the project to the next level. Don't be afraid of failure as ironically, it is your self-discipline and lack of risk taking that is holding you back." Marta Giralt