World's Smallest Computer
Michigan Micro Mote (M3), the world's smallest computer, has taken its place among other revolutionary accomplishments in the history of computing at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.
Despite its tiny size, the M3 has the ability to take pictures, read
temperatures and record pressure readings. Researchers hope to implement
the microcomputer into a variety of applications ranging from medical
to industrial purposes.
Due to its micro-size, the M3 can actually be
injected into the body, where it can then perform ECGs and also take
pressure and temperature readings. The oil industry is also interested
in inserting the Micro Mote into oil wells to help detect pockets of oil
that can still be extracted before moving on to new sources.
The M3 is a fully autonomous computing system that acts as a
smart sensing system. It is the achievement of Michigan faculty
members David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester, David Wentzloff, Prabal Dutta
and several key graduate students over the years, some of whom have
already founded companies to exploit key aspects of the technology.
Sources : eecs.umich.edu & cbsnews.com
