Year: 2014
Type: preprint
Abstract: Molecular robotics is challenging, so it seems best to keep it simple. We consider an abstract molecular robotics model based on simple folding instructions that execute asynchronously. Turning Machines are a simple 1D to 2D folding model, also easily generalisable to 2D to 3D folding. A Turning Machine starts out as a line of connected monomers in the discrete plane, each with an associated turning number. A monomer turns relative to its neighbours, executing a unit-distance translation that drags other monomers along with it, and through collective motion the initial set of monomers eventually folds into a programmed shape. We fully characterise the ability of Turning Machines to execute line rotations, and to do so efficiently: computing an almost-full line rotation of 5π/3 radians is possible, yet a full 2π rotation is impossible. We show that such line-rotations represent a fundamental primitive in the model, by using them to efficiently and asynchronously fold arbitrarily large zig-zag-rastered squares and y-monotone shapes.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Chen, Ho-Lin, Doty, David, Holden, Dhiraj, Thachuk, Chris, Woods, Damien, Yang, Chun-Tao
Language: English
Topic: DNA and Biological Computing
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: SFI ERC Support Programme - ERC Dr Damien Woods (Maynooth University), HCC: Large: Collaborative Research: DNA Machine Builder: Creative molecular-machine design through mass-scale crowdsourcing, Collaborative Research: Molecular Programming Architectures, Abstractions, Algorithms, and Applications, Collaborative Research: The Molecular Programming Project, SHF:Medium:Collaborative Research:Scaling Up Programmable and Algorithmic DNA Self-Assembly, G5745930654, AF: Small: Theory of Molecular Programming: Computability and Complexity, Computationally Active DNA Nanostructures
OpenAlex ID: W2951913554