Circuit

Researchers at KAIST and NASA have developed self-healing transistors for use in nano-spacecraft, to protect them from radiation damage

Astronomy

Self-healing nano-spacecraft could reach Alpha Centauri in 20 years

A nano-spacecraft made from a silicon chip could make the journey to Alpha Centauri in just 20 years. The problem is, such a "space-chip" wouldn’t survive the intense radiation and temperature of space, so a NASA and KAIST team is developing a method for helping the chip heal itself on the fly.

Having isolated a biological process and used it to power an integrated circuit, researchers are now looking at ways to scale down the system, and look for ways to manage biological decay

Biology

Scientists create world's first biologically powered computer chip

The dream of melding biological and man-made machinery is now a little more real with the announcement that Columbia Engineering researchers have successfully harnessed a chemical energy-producing biological process to power a solid state CMOS integrated circuit.

The new chemical chip can control the delivery of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, enabling the chemical control of muscles in cases where the signaling system may not work for some reason

Science

Researcher develops world's first integrated chemical chip

With the development of an “integrated chemical chip,” a doctoral student in Organic Electronics at Sweden’s Linköping University has created the basis for an entirely new circuit technology based on the transmission of ions and molecules.

Electrical engineers Babak Parviz and Brian Otis and undergraduate student Carlton Himes (right to left) demonstrate a circuit that runs entirely off tree power (Images: University of Washington)

Environment

Really green power - running an electric circuit from trees

Researchers have developed an electric circuit that runs on the power generated by trees. The researchers say it should be enough to power wireless sensors and could also gauge a tree’s health.