Polymorphic surface systems and methods

摘要

A polymorphic surface may be provided by applying at least one magnetic field across a plurality of movable surface contour elements and selectively passing a current through the magnetic field(s) adjacent selected surface contour elements, with the current being perpendicular to the magnetic field. The current interacts with the magnetic field to generate a Lorentz force driving guided substantially linear motion of the respective surface contour element(s). The surface contour elements may be individually moveable and individually selectable for application of current to generate movement. The surface contour elements may be supported in position after removing the current. The current applied across each selected surface contour element may be varied to control the amount of guided substantially linear motion.

主权项

1. A polymorphic surface system, comprising:
a guide structure; a plurality of individual cavities formed in the guide structure; a plurality of surface contour elements, each surface contour element being received in a respective one of the individual cavities for reciprocal substantially linear motion therein; each of the surface contour elements having at least one electrically conductive path thereon; each of the cavities having a magnetic field extending thereacross; electrical contacts associated with each cavity, wherein for each cavity:
the electrical contacts comprise at least one first side electrical contact and at least one second side electrical contact;the at least one first side electrical contact is electrically isolated from the at least one second side electrical contact except for the electrically conductive path on the respective surface contour element in the cavity;the at least one electrically conductive path on the respective surface contour element in the cavity maintains electrical communication between the at least one first side electrical contact and the at least one second side electrical contact over a range of the reciprocal substantially linear motion of the respective surface contour element within the respective cavity; andthe at least one first side electrical contact, the at least one electrically conductive path onthe respective surface contour element in the cavity and the at least one second side electrical contact cooperate to form a circuit segment of an electrical circuit across the cavity; the electrical circuit including a controller adapted to address the circuit segments to selectively apply current to, and remove current from, one or more selected circuit segments; and whereby upon application of current to a selected one of the circuit segments, the applied current interacts with the magnetic field across the respective cavity to generate a Lorentz force that drives substantially linear motion of the respective surface contour element within the respective cavity.