The World's Smallest Computer Can Fit on the Tip of a Grain of Rice (vice.com)

Engineers at the University of Michigan have created the world's smallest computer -- again. From a report: The University held the record for the smallest computer after it created its 2x2x4mm Michigan Micro Mote in 2014. The Micro Mote (or M3) is fully functional and able to retain its programming and data even when it loses power. But after IBM debuted an even tinier "computer" in February, a 1mm x 1mm chip with "several hundred thousand" transistors.

Engineers at the University of Michigan were not about to be one-upped, and quickly created an even smaller computer, so small it could fit on the tip of a grain of rice. However, the engineers quibbled over whether IBM's machine and the new Michigan design could really be called computers, since the data gets wiped as soon as it's turned off. You can find more details on the university's website.

Comments

Impressive

[110010001000]

I have this concept I created called "smart dust" which could be used to build swarms of mesh networks of these small computers. They could be dropped from airplanes for example to monitor oil moisture for crops. Eventually these swarms would be self organizing and AI could be introduced. If you are interested in funding my concept, please contact me.

Re:Impressive

[Mr D from 63]

I was thinking smart rice. Then, of course, we would want smart minute rice.

Re:Impressive

[Areyoukiddingme]

I have this concept I created called "smart dust" which could be used to build swarms of mesh networks of these small computers. They could be dropped from airplanes for example to monitor oil moisture for crops. Eventually these swarms would be self organizing and AI could be introduced. If you are interested in funding my concept, please contact me.

You mostly just troll everything now, don't you...

Re:Impressive

[Dragonslicer]

I have this concept I created called "smart dust" which could be used to build swarms of mesh networks of these small computers. They could be dropped from airplanes for example to monitor oil moisture for crops. Eventually these swarms would be self organizing and AI could be introduced. If you are interested in funding my concept, please contact me.

You mostly just troll everything now, don't you...

"Now"?

how is it not computer?

[Anonymous Coward]

When was persistent storage a requirement of a computer?

Re:how is it not computer?

[omnichad]

Most of the early computers had no persistent storage either. Computing is separate from storing. A calculator fits the definition of computer, just not general-purpose computer (though that's typically implied by the term "computer" in vernacular).

Re:But after IBM....

[ClickOnThis]

TFS mangles the original (full) sentence from TFA:

But then IBM debuted an even tinier “computer” in February, a 1mm x 1mm chip with “several hundred thousand” transistors.

TFS changed "then" to "after".

Anyone know

[rsilvergun]

if it can run Crysis?

Re:Anyone know

[110010001000]

No, but it is useful anyway. This is from the website:

What good is a tiny computer? Applications of the Michigan Micro Mote:

Pressure sensing inside the eye for glaucoma diagnosis
Cancer studies
Oil reservoir monitoring
Biochemical process monitoring
Surveillance: audio and visual
Tiny snail studies

This opens up a whole new world in the field of conchology.

Re:Anyone know

[Anonymous Coward]

If you stuck a computer this tiny inside an oyster, you might eventually get a perl.

Re:Anyone know

[Anonymous Coward]

perl -e 'if ( inside_oyster() ) {open($PEARL,>>,"./oyster_shell/pearl"; while ( inside_oyster() ) { print PEARL "layer\n"; } exit; } else { find_oyster(); }

Link to the source

[richy freeway]

With more information regarding data transfer, power etc.

https://news.umich.edu/u-m-res...

Re:Obligatory

[ClickOnThis]

Yeah. Each one sitting on a hot grit in Natalie Portman's pants. In a Beowulf cluster of Soviet Russias that fit you!

Ok, I'm done. I'll see myself out.

Re:Obligatory

[thegreatbob]

Grendels all the way down...

Re:how is it not computer?

[Anonymous Coward]

It stopped being a computer when they removed the headphone jack.

That's just silly!

[Locke2005]

Why would a grain of rice need a computer???

Re:Obligatory

[wikdwarlock]

Wow. I haven't seen the hot grit meme around here in quite a while. Bravo, good sir!

Re:how is it not computer?

[squiggleslash]

Yeah, I assume you're talking ENIACs and stuff, but even in the relatively modern age persistent storage wasn't really a feature of most home computers for several years. Many hobbyists bought disk drives, but there was no storage built in to computers like the VIC 20/Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and so on. Many (oddly, not including the 6502 Commodore home computers - I'm not counting the PET as the latter) came with the ability to hook up to a cassette recorder, but that was it - anything more advanced required buying additional hardware.

It seems to be that if the thing at least includes RAM and the ability to execute programs from RAM, is Turing complete, and has the ability to communicate in both directions with a user, it ought to be classed as a computer given the common usage of the term.

Re:The Real Question:

[Guspaz]

It has an Cortex-M0+ processor, which is a 32-bit ARMv6 processor using a variant of the Thumb instruction set. I'd be surprised if Doom hadn't already been ported to that... the problem would be RAM, of which there would only be a few kilobytes. So, no.