Researchers create millimeter-scale computing system, smallest yet

The International Solid-State Circuits Conference, in San Francisco, that concluded yesterday has been an eye opener. Technology is progressing at a rapid pace and paints a dreamy picture for the future. A team led by professors of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, presented a paper that proves the Moore's and Bell's of the world right by creating the smallest complete millimeter-scale computing system.

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The intended application for this system is currently to monitor the eye pressure of glaucoma patients by embedding this chip within the eye. The system consumes 5.3 nanowatts of power and can is charged by exposure to light. It takes about 10 hours to charge in ambient indoor light and just about 1.5 hours in sunlight. It wakes up from a 'sleep' mode every 15 minutes, takes measurements and stores it to be downloaded later over a radio frequency. While the potential for systems of this size is huge, this could also be the first step towards ubiquitous computing.

Currently, the team is concentrating on medical applications for this chip. It can be used to monitor different parts of the human body from within. They are also trying to optimize and reduce the power consumption, so that millimeter scale batteries may be used to power them. They are also working on developing peer to peer communication between these devices which would revolutionize the wireless sensor networks of today.

Via: Umich News Service/FoxNews