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A Computer That Operates On Water Droplets
Okian Warrior notes a Stanford project to build a basic computer that operates on water droplets. One of its creators, Manu Prakash, says the goal is not to compete with digital computers for manipulating data (though they can theoretically perform all of the same computations). Instead, "Our goal is to build a completely new class of computers that can precisely control and manipulate physical matter. Imagine if when you run a set of computations that not only information is processed but physical matter is algorithmically manipulated as well." The biggest obstacle in creating the water computer was figuring out a way to develop a clock mechanism. The team decided to use a rotating magnetic field, which is both precise and easy to control. To get it to interact with the water, they put arrays of tiny iron bars on glass slides, and then added a layer of oil, and finally another glass slide. Magnetized water droplets are injected into this scaffolding, and the magnetic field can then easily push them along paths created by the iron. "It's about manipulating matter faster," Prakash said.
It produced some PhDs and some R&D grants. But never went beyond academic labs.
The typical automatic transmission contains a fluidic computer, and that was the only computer they ran on until the 1980s. However, today the trend is towards shift-by-wire, with no linkage present even to handle limp-home mode shifting. If the electrical system serving the trans goes south, it's dead, Jim.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Microfluidic channels are fairly easy to produce using traditional lithography, and a simple water pump produces all of the motion necessary. It's difficult to see how this really improves upon that model.
You have a valid point, but I thought it was an interesting approach(*).
In his paper, Dr. PraKash notes that microfluidics requires pumps, valves, and other controlling hardware to route the chemicals to the required places.
His system moves microsamples around using magnetic fields, eliminating the need for pumps and valves.
Check out his dancing droplets video on YouTube. There's really a lot going on at the atomic level with these micro droplets.
(*) I submitted the article