Sandia Builds Micromechanical 'Device Driver'

DanielRavenNest writes: "Sandia Labs has built a tiny bicycle chain type drive out of silicon. This allows one micromechanical motor to drive multiple devices scattered about a chip."

Comments

actually

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, vernon fabricated a microchain rather than a microbelt because although silicon belts are tough and flexible, they are spring-like and produce too much torque on gears not aligned in a straight line. Each chain link, on the other hand, is capable of plus-or-minus 52 degrees rotation with respect to the preceding link, without creating pressure on the support structure. The wide angle means MEMS designers can be relatively unconstrained in positioning multiple devices.

Completely useless for nano-motorbikes

[ArcSecond]

Everybody knows that chain drives blow.

What about a belt drive? Or a shaft drive if you really want some nano-torque?

These guys are living in the past, man!

This seems like the ideal primer...

[cliffy2000]

For a neural network. I mean, such a mechanism seems to lend itself to a net. If it can indeed mimic these basic functions, they're sitting on a goldmine - maybe they'll even be able to reproduce simple biological functions... we'll see.

Now all we need...

[Embedded Geek]

...is tiny little circus dogs to ride the bicycles and we're set.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist).