researchers at
mit and
texas instruments have designed a new chip for portable electronics that could be up to 10 times more energy-efficient than present technology. given its reduced power consumption, the new chip could lead to cell phones, handheld computers, and remote sensors that last far longer when running from a battery.
indeed, the power required could be so low that implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and health monitors could be powered indefinitely by a person's body heat or motion -no battery needed.
according to anantha chandrakasan [mtl - sub-threshold circuits group], the key to the improvement in energy efficiency was finding ways to make the circuits on the chip work at a voltage level much lower than usual. while most current chips operate at around 1.0 volt, the new design works at just 0.3 volts.
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