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The next wave in disruptive technology:
Get ready for the sneak attack of low-cost micromachines
by Michael Riska
Getting tired of waiting for nanotechnology? You know, those self-replicating miniature med-bots that are supposed to swim through your arteries, removing a lifetime of filet mignon and crème brûlée gunk from your heart? I say fuggeddaboudit. These things are still years away.
But the quest to shrink machines to the atomic level has already produced a revolutionary technology, in the form of microelectromechanical systems — otherwise known as MEMS.
MEMS, or micromachines, contain mechanical elements that are measured in microns. (Just to give you an idea of how small that is: a single strand of hair is about 100 microns thick.)
But make no mistake about it: These are fully functioning machines, like motors and pumps, so small you could accidentally inhale a pile of them without noticing.
The web page of Sandia National Laboratories, where the little devices have been pioneered, shows pictures of dust mites riding tiny cogs and stepping all over miniature mirrors. Compared to the machines, the mites look like Godzilla over Tokyo.
The most important feature of micromachines is the way they are manufactured. Just like integrated circuit chips, MEMS are etched on sheets of silicon. This allows them to be mass-produced at low cost.
The functionality of ordinary chips can be increased too, by incorporating microsystems, like sensors and communicators, directly into a chip.
Instead of simply boosting processing power by packing more transistors onto the chip, MEMS technology will allow chips to be almost self-sufficient. They will sense their environment, act on their surroundings, and communicate with other chips and systems.
Since sensing and communicating ability will be integrated, the machines and multi-functional microchips will be able to predict and communicate their own failure. Also, silicon is a remarkably durable material. Sandia Labs says they’ve tested their microengines to failure at 7 billion revolutions — roughly the same as driving your car 2.5 million miles.
Rear entrance
Micromachine technology is destined to be disruptive. And it needs to be incorporated into a variety of common applications before conservative national policymakers will take a chance on it.
That’s why the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories has spun off a private company, MEMX, Inc., to develop the micromachines for commercial distribution. They’re positioning themselves as part of the telecommunications industry, and are going to use their new technologies to make better optical switches.
But MEMX’s real goal in life is to set the stage for Sandia to land big, fat government contracts for military applications. The telecom gig is part of a strategy they’re using to bring the technology to the attention of the marketplace.
Micromachines might take a while to catch on. Like any radical feat of engineering, there is a lot of tweaking to be done before their full potential is realized. But pay attention, because when the revolution comes, it will be so small you can’t even see it.
More Information
MEMX, 5600 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Suite 160, Albuquerque, NM 87109, tel. 505-858-1062, fax 505-858-0935.Website: www.memx.org
General email: info@memx.org
Investor email: invest@memx.org
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