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A Computer That Operates On Water Droplets

Posted by Soulskill on from the what-voyager's-computer-is-made-of dept.

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.

17 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Block-Transfer Computations by Feneric · · Score: 2

    It sounds almost like an early form of block-transfer computations as described in Doctor Who.

  2. Get the mop by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    We have a memory leak.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:Get the mop by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

      Better wipe it and start clean.

      We'll have to wait for the trickle charger, though.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:Get the mop by fire113 · · Score: 2

      We have a memory leak.

      Check the bubble sort algorithm!

    3. Re:Get the mop by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

      I hate it when I drop my fluidic phone into sand and ruin it. When will they think of a case with sponge covering the inside, so I can keep it moist under any conditions?

  3. Microfluidics? by smaddox · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The project looks interesting from an academic perspective, but the stated application to biological microfluidics seems ridiculous when it requires the droplets to be filled with magnetic materials that could potentially compromise any test you might want to perform.

    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.

    1. Re:Microfluidics? by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 3, Informative

      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

    2. Re:Microfluidics? by mlts · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Isn't this something similar to a switching apparatus that Russia was working on, except with switching done by jets of water, where two jets would cancel each other out, creating a zero? I remember reading about half-adders done this way, as well as far more complex hydrofluidic building blocks.

      One advantage of this form of switching is that it is EMP-proof (barring a blast that actually causes physical damage), something that has been the Achilles heel of almost all technology made today.

  4. They missed the memo by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

    Hydraulic, pneumatic, hydropneumatic, mechanical... these kinds of control systems, as it turns out, are less reliable than using electronics, and they react more slowly. They also don't learn. Before you get enough complexity to have them learn, see points A and B.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  5. Cloud computing by jd2112 · · Score: 2

    Taken to a new level

    --
    Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
  6. Or another application by sonamchauhan · · Score: 2

    http://www.halfbakery.com/idea...

  7. Fluidics was very big some 25 years ago by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Originally fluidics circuits mimicked electronic circuits but all those valves controlling fluid flow were quite cumbersome. They built standard "cells" that would have a large inlet and out let for main "flow" and then additional taps which were controlled by smaller streams of the fluid. There were cells that would do the plumbing of making tap of one cell be the main inflow for another cell etc. They had the equivalents of transistor, one small bias flow controlling a large main flow to either "out/ground" or to tap A etc. They could stack them up to avoid running tubes. They could do what the primitive digital electronic circuits could do. They had built simple ripple counters, and flip flops etc. They are digital circuits, but with "power"! They had enough power to move small actuators. Enough to move baffle doors of air ducts etc. (Quoting from memory of some IEEE spectrum article read some 25 years ago. sorry for the mistakes)

    It produced some PhDs and some R&D grants. But never went beyond academic labs. I don't think there was the Big Digital Electronic conspiracy to stymie the upstart competitor. Even their proponents did not really believe it could take on digital electronic circuits.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Fluidics was very big some 25 years ago by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Informative

      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.'"
    2. Re:Fluidics was very big some 25 years ago by ProzacPatient · · Score: 2

      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.

      All the more reason to continue driving manual. Unfortunately manual transmission cars are getting increasingly hard to find as more people who don't know how to drive prefer everything automatic.

    3. Re:Fluidics was very big some 25 years ago by TeknoHog · · Score: 2

      All the more reason to continue driving manual. Unfortunately manual transmission cars are getting increasingly hard to find as more people who don't know how to drive prefer everything automatic.

      Here in Finland, manual transmission is the norm, presumably due to fuel efficiency, which suits our high fuel prices. If our white trash can learn to drive them, then it shouldn't be too hard for you guys either. Automatic transmissions are generally used by people who lost a leg so can't easily operate the clutch.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  8. old tech by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A droplet computer is certainly new and interesting, but people should remember that computers using pneumatic or fluidic elements are actually quite old.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...

  9. well described in "The New Hackers Dictionary" by pereric · · Score: 2

    The Eric S Raymonds jargon.txt or "The New Hackers Dictionary" has a series of illuminating illustrations on the features of a water-powered computer, made by Bells & Whistles incorporated.
    No cooling problems, good floating point performance, but the overflow error and subsequent core dump is to be taken seriously ...

    See http://www.catb.org/jargon/htm...