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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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Posted on 01/20/2003 2:57:25 AM PST by Prodigal Son
IT IS a case of life imitating art, or in this case, science fiction. In Michael Crichton’s latest book, Prey, a swarm of molecular-sized computer chips escapes from a laboratory. The chips grow in intelligence and threaten to take over the human race. While this chilling scenario remains confined to the realms of imagination, the technology behind the novel could soon become reality through ground-breaking work being carried out by Scottish scientists.
A team at Edinburgh University, led by DK Arvind, a reader in informatics and director of the school of informatics, is being funded by the US military to produce tiny chips — each no larger than a speck of dust — that can communicate with each other and relay information.
The scientists predict the technology — known as “speckled computing” — will become reality in as little as three years and will revolutionise the art of intelligence gathering. “By 2005, computing on the move will be the norm and the disappearing computer will have far-reaching consequences,” said Arvind.
“Each speck will be an autonomous unit with a renewable energy source and capable of wireless communication. There is a need for military agencies to have sensing capabilities in areas they cannot be present in. In the past, satellite technology has been used, but more localised information is often needed.”
According to defence sources, the applications of such technology are limitless. A swarm of chips could be catapulted into enemy territory to monitor movements of troops and equipment.
Pressure sensors in the chips will determine which direction enemy vehicles are moving.Similarly, soldiers could be “sprayed” with chips to monitor their progress, location and performance in battle. They could also be used to detect external threats such as noxious fumes or chemical weapons.
In addition to military use, scientists expect the technology to have far-reaching consequences in other fields.
Arvind and his team have already worked closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and leading electronics companies such as Panasonic, Hitachi and Sharp. They also plan to discuss their work with government health advisers, who are expected to show keen interest in the cutting-edge technology.
It would, for example, enable nurses to remotely monitor their patients — a network of chips sprayed onto clothing would monitor heart rate, respiration, and body temperature.
The technology will also have extensive industrial use, enabling remote monitoring of chemical and nuclear plants which could avoid potentially hazardous leaks and contamination.
State-of-the-art computer simulations are being used to accurately model the behaviour of the silicon chips so far, but theory is expected to turn into reality in as little as three years when the technology matures, with chips the size of a cubic millimetre.
Arvind believes each chip, or speck, will have its own renewable energy source, pressure sensors and the ability to communicate with other chips to form an intelligent network. The specks could then be scattered on surfaces or sprayed on objects.
A number of Scottish universities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Strathclyde, are in talks to establish a research centre to advance the technology and ensure Scotland reaps the economic benefits.
“The US military will only fund the best people in their field, so it’s a compliment they have shown interest in the scientists at Edinburgh University,” said a spokesman for QinetiQ — formerly the government’s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency — which advises the MoD. “Intelligence gathering is a major issue for military organisations, and the benefits of this technology are extremely valuable for anyone wishing to monitor areas remotely.”
A US defence source added: “The US air force is constantly on the look-out for innovative and emerging technologies around the world. If they believe it could be advantageous, they have the funds to put into the research.
“While this type of research may eventually have military uses, it could also be of general benefit to the US and western democracies. Another good reason for funding this kind of research is that we also have the ability to control its use if the need arises.”
Nanotechnology is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy and is predicted to have a profound effect on defence, electronics, life sciences and medicine, materials and manufacturing.
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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US military will be happy: If anyone can the Scots will get it done "on the cheap".
Here's a link to some stuff being done at Berkley:
http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/
Sample:
In 2010 scanning 3 color laser projection systems will be no larger than a grain of rice, and cost under a dollar. They will be in augmented reality displays that appear to others as regular glasses. They will be in laser pointers, turning any wall into an electronic whiteboard. They will be in large arrays on walls, forming a truly staggering 3D display with brightness, contrast, and viewing angle unparalleled by any technology available or predicted today.
In 2010 MEMS sensors will be everywhere, and sensing virtually everything. Scavenging power from sunlight, vibration, thermal gradients, and background RF, sensors motes will be immortal, completely self contained, single chip computers with sensing, communication, and power supply built in. Entirely solid state, and with no natural decay processes, they may well survive the human race. Descendants of dolphins may mine them from arctic ice and marvel at the extinct technology.
interesting pictures here: http://www-bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu/~warneke/SmartDust/
I'm really interested in the accelerating pace of technology. A lot of the "singularity enthusiasts" reckon the human race will enter into the Post Human Age in the next three to five decades. I haven't made up my mind if it's going to happen the way they think it is, but it is obvious we're heading in that general direction. It's fairly obvious we're going to have some sort of a cyborg pretty soon- Stephen Hawking could be described as a cyborg now. A brain on wheels. Can you imagine microscopic hardware and peripherals implanted in your eyes, ears, nose- burning everything you experience onto your personal hard drive- all of life's memories available in perfect detail anytime you want- plus you could share them with friends, loved ones and of course Big Brother.
I think it will be very tempting indeed to get wired one day. You could surf the net, argue on Free Republic, do your shopping and be in total contact with all your friends where ever you were and without having to lug a computer around with you. A great idea would spread across the globe in a matter of seconds and the "truth" (the actual events at any given place and time as they actually happen) wouldn't be subject to the same sort of political manipulation we have today. At any given scene, you'd have dozens of eyewitness and there wouldn't be any "version" of events, the rest of the world would simply see, hear and smell exactly what took place. No more bickering about who shot JFK or what happened aboard Flight 93. In many ways it would be a wonderful thing.
Of course, life as we know it would change irrevocably and fundamentally and that would be the major drawback. Is it worth it? I like thinking about these things. I don't think I'd really want to be "augmented" in such a fashion, but then again- it would open up so many doors for your mind to reach its fullest potential...
Uh-oh...Starting to ramble...
At any rate, thanks for the link.
Hey, did you hear about the SF guys that apparantly killed a kid by accident in Afghanistan while they were firing their mortars for training? I think the unit is out of Oregon...
Even sharp, well-trained guys can f-up.
if you're intrigued by this stuff, check out: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.12/fftransparent.html
David brin wrote a book titled "The transparent Society." Interesting, and disturbing.
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