Scientists from Northwestern University have succeeded in developing a new nanomaterial capable of "routing" electric currents that will lead to the creation of a computer that can simply rearrange the internal wiring inside it and become a completely different device, depending on the changing needs
Scientists from Northwestern University succeeded in developing a new nanomaterial capable of "routing" electric currents. The development could lead to the creation of a computer that could simply rearrange the internal wiring inside it and become a completely different device, depending on the changing needs.
As electronic devices become ever smaller, the materials of which electrical circuits are composed begin to lose their properties and become increasingly limited by the principles of quantum mechanics. Upon reaching this physical barrier, many scientists begin to build circuits in multiple dimensions, similar to stacking components one on top of the other. Now, the research team from Northwestern University has turned to a different approach. They developed reconfigurable electronic materials: materials capable of reorganizing themselves to meet the changing needs of the computer that arise at different times.
"Our new routing technology allows us to direct an electric current through a piece of continuous material," explains the scientist who led the study Bartosz A. Grzybowski. "Similar to diverting a river, electron currents can be routed in several directions by blocking the material - even to obtain a state of several currents flowing in opposite directions at the same time." The new material combines various aspects of silicon-based and polymer-based electronic components to create an entirely new family of materials used in the development of electronic components: nanoparticle-based electronic components. The research findings were recently published in the scientific journal Nature Nanotechnology.
"In addition to their activity as XNUMXD bridges between existing technologies, the reversible nature of this new material could allow the computer to reroute and adopt the electrical circuits it requires at a certain moment," explains one of the researchers. Imagine a single device capable of reorganizing itself into a resistor, a rectifier, a diode and a transistor, all depending on the signals received from a computer. The XNUMXD electrical circuit will be able to reorganize itself into new electrical circuits by receiving varied signals originating from electronic inputs.
The hybrid material consists of electrically conductive particles, each five nanometers in size, coated with a special positively charged chemical. The particles are surrounded by a "sea" of negatively charged atoms that balance the positive charges found on the particles themselves. By running an electric charge along the material, the tiny positively charged atoms are able to move and rearrange themselves, unlike larger particles. By moving the negatively charged atomic "seas" around the material, it is possible to create areas of low or high electrical conductivity as needed; With this method it is possible to create a routed path that allows the electrons to move through the contents of the material. Old tracks can be "erased" and new tracks can be created by pushing and pulling the negatively charged atomic "seas". More complex electronic components, such as diodes and transistors, can be made using different types of nanoparticles.
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The first association that came to my mind - already when I read the title - was different from what has been said so far.
I'm not familiar with the research either, so I can't say anything with confidence, but what seems to me to be the most suitable direction for using the new material is the direction of artificial neural networks.
A neural network is a type of computer built inspired by the structure of the brain in the living world.
It consists of [an image of] neurons and the connections between them, and its programming is carried out by changing the connections - both in the strength of their influence on the affected "neuron" and in its direction.
The existing technologies allow the physical construction of very small neural networks.
When you want to build a large network, you are satisfied with simulating it on a regular computer, and when you want it to work fast, you have to use a supercomputer.
It seems to me that using the new material it will be possible to build physical neural networks of any size.
I wouldn't be surprised with the blue brain project being converted to use this material.
Asaf,
The difference is exactly this - hardware versus software. I'm not familiar enough with the research in question and the properties of the materials, but just for the sake of illustration, imagine that instead of several physical cards that must be installed in a computer for a variety of different applications, you could get a single card that could control its electrical circuits. In this way you can get a large number of different applications in a smaller volume. After all, if it were possible to do everything with software, today you would not need almost any physical component in the motherboard and the cards installed on it. In addition, I have a feeling, based on past experience in applying new technologies, that with the very possibility of the existence of new technology, the applications, even in directions that are currently not expected at all, will already be found by intelligent people. Perhaps such technology can speed forward the development of robots that can use such a computer to switch between different activity modes in different situations, for example between a movement mode that requires control of physical components such as actuators and sensors, and between another mode in which the robot is required to operate a different set of instruments and perhaps Even to connect to a non-standard external instrument in terms of its electronic output. Already now I'm starting to think about how many very diverse applications of using such a computer and I'm sure it will have far-reaching applications much more than the few I'm thinking of now.
I did not understand what it is used for?
Even today there are many programming components. What is the difference between different wiring and different programming?
In terms of uses, I don't see a difference.
to the spring
Almost every new technology initially costs far beyond the pocket of the common citizen,
But after a certain period, they start to find methods to optimize and reduce the production process, which makes the product accessible at reasonable prices.
And how much would such a computer cost? It seems to me that for the time being such computers will only be suitable for supercomputers of universities and countries.