Embryonic electronics

Within the general domain of bio-inspired computing, a particular trend over the past few years has been that of constructing actual hardware devices that are inspired by nature. This paper describes one such project— Embryonics (embryonic electronics)—inspired in particular by the process of embryo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioSystems 1999-09, Vol.51 (3), p.145-152
Main Authors: Mange, Daniel, Sipper, Moshe, Marchal, Pierre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell Differentiation
Cell Division
Cell Physiological Phenomena
Electronics
Embryology - instrumentation
Embryonics
Microcomputers
Models, Biological
Ontogeny
Self-repair
Self-replication
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Summary:Within the general domain of bio-inspired computing, a particular trend over the past few years has been that of constructing actual hardware devices that are inspired by nature. This paper describes one such project— Embryonics (embryonic electronics)—inspired in particular by the process of embryogenesis. Our ultimate objective is the construction of large-scale integrated circuits, exhibiting the properties of self-repair (healing) and self-replication, found until now only in living beings. We present the silicon-based artificial cell, followed by a description of mechanisms operating at the cellular level: cellular differentiation, cellular division, regeneration, and replication. We then present the cell’s composition as an ensemble of lower-level elements, known as ‘molecules’. As electronic chips grow evermore complex, the need for self-repair capabilities will become increasingly crucial. The Embryonics approach represents one possible way of confronting this pivotal problem.
ISSN:0303-2647
1872-8324
DOI:10.1016/S0303-2647(99)00052-0