Patent ID: 8193102

Claim:
A method of assembling a composite structure from objects in a fluid, comprising: providing a plurality of objects, each object of said plurality of objects having a preselected size, a preselected shape, and a preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features characterizing a surface roughness; dispersing said plurality of objects into said fluid; and introducing a depletion agent into said fluid, said depletion agent comprising a plurality of particles having a size distribution preselected to cause an attractive force arising from a depletion attraction between at least a first object and a second object of said plurality of objects in at least one relative position and orientation based on said preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features on said first and second objects, wherein said depletion attraction between said first and second objects forms at least one of a rigid bond or a slippery bond at or proximate to respective surface portions based on said preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features on said first and second objects to form a two-object composite structure.