Phoenix Chip Is a Computing System That Measures One Millimeter

The age of undersized computer systems seems to actually be upon us, as a team of scientists from the University of Michigan have actually created a chip measuring a single cubic millimeter.

The problem with making small computer systems is that, besides the fact that they can only pack so much processing power, they can't really do more than one or two, mostly simple thing.

Granted, as soon as nanotechnology gets going the way it should, such computers will probably get more widespread.

In the meantime, however, one can only keep a sharp eye and ear out for any advancement, and the University of Michigan claims to have created s computer meant as an implant.

Dubbed Phoenix, is was developed in order to monitor the eye pressure of patients with glaucoma.

That said, it is based on a very small, ultra low-power microchip assisted by memory, a pressure sensor, a solar cell, a thin-film battery and a wireless radio.

There is also a small antenna, which can relay data to an external reader device, provided the latter is brought close to the eye itself.

A special feature is that the micro radio automatically downloads the data to a reader by tuning into the wireless frequency available.

"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," said Dennis Sylvester, a professor at the school and one of the researchers on the project.

"We can collect data, store it and transmit it. The applications for systems of this size are endless."

By means of a computer gating architecture, the chip is mostly kept in an extreme sleep mode, being powered once every 15 minutes to take readings.

As such, it has an average power draw of 5.3 nanowatts, not bad for something that can hold up to a week's worth of data. 10 hours of indoor light or 1.5 hours of sunlight are enough to recharge the battery.