N EWS
steps could be replacing them with organic
counterparts,” says Robert Nawrocki, an assistant
professor at Purdue University’s School of Engi-
neering Technology, another researcher who was
not involved in the study. An all-organic device
would be advantageous because it could be
biocompatible—potentially allowing it to be implant-
ed into the human body, for example. If organic
neuromorphic devices reach that point, Nawrocki
suggests, they may help in treating certain diseas-
es and injuries to the nervous system. In the brain,
he adds, neuromorphic implants could allow
humans to control powered exoskeletons as well.
The organic neuromorphic chip also has the
advantage of requiring less power than a standard
chip. In order to switch, the organic transistors
require only half a volt of electricity—about 20
times less than their silicon counterparts with
similar dimensions, according to the authors of the
new study. Because power is proportional to
voltage, this means the entire system has lower
power requirements. The neuromorphic chip is also
relatively cheap to produce and comparatively
simpler than a silicon system, van de Burgt says.
Such a low-power system could have many appli-
cations. For instance, it might help robots work for
long hours at remote places on Earth—or even on
another planet—without constantly needing to
recharge, Krichmar says. Fifty or 100 years down
the line, Nawrocki says, “we may have ul-
tra-low-power autonomous robots, like artificial
insects, that could even pollinate crops.”
—Saugat Bolakhe
➦^12