Environmental Leader

Texas Instrument and MIT researchers unveiled a new energy-efficient microchip that could eventually be used in cell phones, implantable medical devices and sensors. The key to the chip is that it operates at 0.3 volts whereas most current chips operate at 1.0 volts.

According to Anantha Chandrakasan of MIT, commercial applications for the chip could become available in five years. There may also be a variety of military applications possible. In some applications, the goal is for it to be powered by “ambient energy,” such as the body’s own heat or movement.

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