What size is the tiniest computer in the world?

 

According to the University of Michigan, the smallest computer in the world measures 0.3mm in length, or significantly smaller than a grain of rice.

The institution and IBM are reportedly competing to build the tiniest computer in the world, according to Grunge. And it looks like Michigan is winning.

The computer, despite its tiny size, contains a processor, RAM, and even transmitters and receivers. They don't utilize radio antennas; they use visible light.

According to Digital Trends, the computer includes a base station that supplies it with electricity. Light is transformed into power using photovoltaics.

The computer was created by electrical and computer engineering professors David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester, and Jamie Phillips from the University of Michigan.

But is it even a computer?

After IBM unveiled its microcomputer, a discussion about whether these machines should even be referred to as computers arose. According to an insider, the University's microcomputer is closer to being a true computer because it has a CPU. It does not, however, save code or data. According to Grunge, Blaauw said that the team was unsure whether they could be referred to as computers. According to engineers, the gadget is basically a temperature sensor. A biomedical engineering professor who worked on the experiment expressed optimism that the "computer" may be applied to oncology to measure the temperature of tumors.

Small computers have also been employed in the past to research tiny animals like snails. Monitoring oil reservoirs and detecting glaucoma from inside the eye are two other applications.