Storing memory on a chip with flowing water
Like the folds in crumpled sheets or the footprints on recently trodden sand, certain materials mark their histories. Now, Yale researchers show that networks of flowing water and other fluids can store their own memories—similar to how a computer chip does—an innovation that could steer robots and provide insight into some simple organisms. The results are published in Physical Review X.
Researchers at Yale University have discovered that flowing water and other fluids can store memories, similar to how computer chips operate. In Professor Amir Pahlavan's lab, a small chip was created with multiple tiny channels, each containing flexible microfibers. These fibers, which are about half the width of a human hair, switch between two states based on the pressure from the flowing fluid.
This creates a memory of past flows, with each fiber's current state depending on its history and the states of other fibers. The two stable configurations of each fiber can represent a zero or a one, similar to a bit in computer memory. Unlike traditional microfluidics, which rely on active elements, this system uses passive microfibers to store information.
The fibers can also interact with each other, leading to complex system-wide memory. Potential applications include soft robotics, which can operate in environments where electronic devices cannot, such as due to electromagnetic interference. In the future, these fluidic networks could potentially be trained to perform useful tasks, offering insights into memory and learning in simple organisms like fungi, plant roots, and slime molds.
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