At the International Workshop on Information Processing in Cells and Tissues (IPCAT 2003) this month, the Logic Systems Laboratory (LSL) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) used 5700 Xilinx Spartan FPGAs to develop a self-repairing electronic tissue and interactive display called ‘the BioWall’.
The BioWall combines the latest in digital technology with the most instinctive of human gestures - touch. The creation of the BioWall is said to be a major step towards the creation of intelligent, bio-inspired electronic tissues, capable of evolving, self-repairing, self-replicating and learning. It will be displayed at the ITU Telecom World 2003 exhibition in Geneva, in October.
BioWall was designed to demonstrate the features of Embryonics (embryonic electronics) to the public, through a visual and tactile interaction. Visitors can participate in a selection of activities designed to demonstrate the chameleon-like qualities of the electronic tissue. Because Xilinx Spartan FPGAs are reprogrammable, they act as self-repairing receptors, much like those in human skin, with the ability to 'heal' or change in response to stimuli from the outside world - such as touch.
With thousands of potential uses, the use of self-regenerating, highly robust electronic tissue is likely to become widespread, says the EPFL, particularly where dependability is absolutely paramount, such as space exploration. The technology will also pave the way for even more intelligent automated machines such as ATMs, gas pumps, and ticket, food, and drink dispensers.
EPFL researchers have only begun to explore the possibilities of the BioWall as a research tool. Thus far they have developed a few such applications, designed to exploit the versatility inherent in its programmable architecture. The size of the BioWall display allows an immediate interaction with applications that are normally limited to software simulation on a computer screen and the computing power and programmability of the FPGAs allow the prototyping of new bio-inspired systems.
To see information on the creation and development of the BioWall, go to http://lslwww.epfl.ch/biowall. For the full story on the role of Xilinx Spartan FPGAs in its development go to www.xilinx.com/publications/xcellonline/xcell_47/xc_pdf/xc_biowall47.pdf.
For more information contact Kobus Botes, Memec SA, 011 897 8600, [email protected]
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version