Angie Walls
(photo by Zhukov Oleg from Shutterstock)
Published in The DeviceLine Blog by Mocana, March 1, 2011

Researchers at the University of Michigan are onto something – the very first millimeter-scale computing system. Their developing prototypes for an implantable eye pressure monitor and a compact radio that needs no tuning will be have their debut at the upcoming International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco.

Their new millimeter-scale system is just one cubic millimeter in size and includes the complete package (an ultra low-power microprocessor, memory, battery power, and more). According to Bell’s Law, there’s a new generation of smaller and cheaper computers that make their appearance every decade, and at the University of Michigan, they believe that the future lies with millimeter computing.

According to Product Design and Development,

Nearly invisible millimeter-scale systems could enable ubiquitous computing, and the researchers say that’s the future of the industry. “Our work is unique in the sense that we’re thinking about complete systems in which all the components are low-power and fit on the chip. We can collect data, store it and transmit it. The applications for systems of this size are endless.” [Stated by University of Michigan Professor Dennis Sylvester]