Mechanical computer relies on kirigami cubes, not electronics

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a mechanical computer inspired by kirigami, using interconnected polymer cubes to store, retrieve, and erase data without electronic components. This innovative system allows for reversible data editing, enabling users to control when data can be modified or locked in place. The mechanical computer operates by manipulating the position of cubes within interconnected units, with each cube representing a binary state of 1 or 0. The design allows for more complex computing by utilizing multiple states per cube. The system's potential applications include mechanical encryption, with a high information density capable of creating over 362,000 configurations with just nine functional units. The researchers envision collaborations to explore coding possibilities and the development of haptic systems for three-dimensional data display. The study, published on the arXiv preprint server, showcases the versatility and potential of this novel mechanical computing approach.