The Many Forms of Amorphous Computational Systems

Amorphous computing presents a novel computational paradigm. From a computational viewpoint, amorphous computing systems differ from the classical ones almost in every aspect. They consist of a set of tiny, independent, anonymous and self-powered processors or robots that can communicate wirelessly to a limited distance. The processors are simplified down to the absolute necessaries in order to enable their massive production. The amorphous systems appear in many variants. Their processors can be randomly placed in a closed area or volume and form an ad-hoc network; in some applications they can move, either actively, or passively (e.g., in a bloodstream). Depending on their environment, they can communicate either via radio or via signal molecules. Assuming exponential progress in all sciences resulting in our ability to produce amorphous computing systems with myriads of processors, an unmatched application potential is expected profoundly to change all areas of science and life.