MIT researchers have created a new computing platform that could be used to develop intelligent and adaptive next-generation electronics that can simultaneously perform multiple functions, like computing and memory, all within one extremely compact, energy-efficient device. Because key computing functions are built into the intrinsic properties of the soft polymer material, the number of components needed to perform the functions are minimized, enabling a compact and versatile platform for information processing. 'Complex and coupled nanoscale phenomena can provide tremendous opportunities for new approaches to information processing and integrating multiple functionalities, such as computing, sensing, and actuation. This could enable levels of energy efficiency, autonomy, and reconfigurability in nanoscale devices and systems that are challenging to achieve with conventional computing platforms,' says Farnaz Niroui, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer...
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