IBM's "world's smallest computer" is the size of a grain of salt

midian182

Posts: 9,632   +120
Staff member

We’ve seen companies boasting that they’ve created incredibly small computers in the past, but most of these are still massive compared to IBM’s latest effort. Measuring just 1mm x 1mm, its device is the size of a grain of sand.

The company is unveiling the computer at its IBM Think 2018 conference, which starts today. You might imagine that it won’t be able to do much, but it has the compute power of an x86 machine from the 1990s. Not very impressive compared to today’s PCs, true, but then you do need a microscope to see it clearly—check out the picture of one placed on a pile of salt.

The tiny computer costs under ten cents to manufacture and contains up to one million transistors, according to IBM. The company said this “crypto-anchor” could be embedded in everyday items to improve shipment tracking and processing, acting as a data source of blockchain applications.

"Within the next five years, cryptographic anchors — such as ink dots or tiny computers smaller than a grain of salt — will be embedded in everyday objects and devices," said Arvind Krishna, IBM's head of research.

The tiny computer costs under ten cents to manufacture and contains up to one million transistors, according to IBM.

"They'll be used in tandem with blockchain's distributed ledger technology to ensure an object's authenticity from its point of origin to when it reaches the hands of the customer.”

"These technologies pave the way for new solutions that tackle food safety, authenticity of manufactured components, genetically modified products, identification of counterfeit objects and provenance of luxury goods."

Mashable reports that the computer even has enough power to perform basic AI functions, such as sorting the data it's been given. In addition to all those transistors, it includes some static random-access memory (SRAM), a light-emitting diode (LED) and photo-detector for communicating, and a photo-voltaic cell for power.

IBM’s researchers are still testing the prototype model, so don’t expect them to hit the market anytime soon. But it’s amazing to think the same power we saw in PCs from the 1990s is now available in something the size of a grain of salt.

Permalink to story.

 
Install one in each person, and start the zombie apocalypse, or control your own slave army. Maybe they're already in place - this would explain a lot of recent behavior. Get your supply of tinfoil before it's all sold out, and start making those hats.
 
Do you want Borg, because this is how you get Borg.

I have to disagree, I am an expert on The Borg having watched every Borg related episode of Star Trek at least twice - this includes movies - I can assure you IBM was never mentioned in the creation of The Borg.
 
I really want to make a joke about taking the news with a grain of salt but I'm stuck... Anyone got anything ?
 
No No No...this is Dangerous !! just imagine you accidentally swallow this nano computer - and its now in your system - and someone in Russia decides to "hack" that nano computer /per-se make it go crazy and the nano computer is by now linked to all your Neuro Motor Nerves in your body internally and triggers a/ or gives you a BONER - which "unfortunately " is all happening inside of you without your control - Man !! that's it.... Now you got = Intel Inside and Boner Outside
 
Yes please put it into everyday products and add a tiny microphone to it. It will end up in the sea and when the birds and fish eat it they'll become cyborgs.

10 cents manufacturing cost? It will be everywhere. If it not already is.
 
Powered by light, communicates by flashing the light, and costs 10 cents. Every product that costs $20 or more will have these
included, for inventory tracking, anti-theft, and customer data mining. I should invest in a company that makes lead-lined, light-proof faraday-cage containers. Maybe that would keep people's sensitive data safe, for a while. Until they modify the chips to communicate through sound waves, or maybe tiny atmospheric pressure fluctuations. It never ends...
 
Last edited:
A "grain of salt" might be a bit of an exaggeration. Based on that pic, that's more like 20 grains of sea salt. Still, impressive.
A "grain of salt" might be a bit of an exaggeration. Based on that pic, that's more like 20 grains of sea salt. Still, impressive.
I measured that picture and then "-" on my browser to reduce it to 1mm. Pretty damn small. Just don't drop it on a shag carpet (or any carpet).
 
Back