World's Smallest Computer

Michigan Micro Mote (M³), the world's smallest computer, has taken its place among other revolutionary accomplishments in the history of computing at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

 

Despite its tiny size, the M³  has the ability to take pictures, read temperatures and record pressure readings. Researchers hope to implement the microcomputer into a variety of applications ranging from medical to industrial purposes.

 Due to its micro-size, the M³ can actually be injected into the body, where it can then perform ECGs and also take pressure and temperature readings. The oil industry is also interested in inserting the Micro Mote into oil wells to help detect pockets of oil that can still be extracted before moving on to new sources. 

The M³ is a fully autonomous computing system that acts as a smart sensing system. It is the achievement of Michigan faculty members David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester, David Wentzloff, Prabal Dutta and several key graduate students over the years, some of whom have already founded companies to exploit key aspects of the technology.  

Sources : eecs.umich.edu & cbsnews.com