GE develops futuristic low-cost, high-speed storage disc to replace 100 CDs in one go

Not just 3 or 4 GB, it’s all about cramming a lot deal more; almost a 100 times more storage space is now on the anvil by the GE development team. Two years back, the Research unit at GE had started work on a storage disc that could write data at speeds equivalent to a Blu-ray burner and store about 500 GB of data cargo. Using the skill of micro-holography, the bulk digital data thus stored will keep intact for more than a hundred years on standard-sized optical discs.

Holographic storage

Storage is surely an expensive affair when it comes to maintaining data and archiving information which might be of use in decades to come. To make this a much simpler issue, GE has decided to crack the code on making bulk storage possible on discs similar in size to those of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray. Using the technology similar to the laser systems used to read CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs today, the new system uses micro-holographic technology with write speeds around 4-5 MB/s.

Peter Lorraine, Manager, GE Optical Research unit, revealed at an the IEEE symposium in Hawaii that GE has has ventured into next generation digital storage by initiating the low-cost, high-storage disc. With faster burn speeds, almost similar to that of the Blu-ray, these storage units will be capable to store data of about a 100 CDs. Giving credit to the enhanced sensitivity of the holograms of the discs, Lorraine asserts, that this is also responsible to make the recording process more power efficient and super-fast.

With the assured write speeds, however, it would probably take a day to fill a disc, but with time, Lorraine assures, the technology might get more skilled to enable specialized drives with multiple write head to finish the job at a faster pace. Although the initial use for such discs will be for archival purposes for a regular person these futuristic discs can store all the photos, videos, records and pass it down generations to come without the fear of getting lost or dying down in existence or lack of space to store them well.

Via: Gizmodo