Silicon microsystems for mechatronic applications

While modern microelectronic fabrication processes allow monolithic integration of millions and millions of electronic devices on tiny silicon chips and thus form a technological base for implementation of high-performance electronic systems, they are also capable of realizing sensing and actuating functions. Although this may require some minor changes in standard processing and thus increase the fabrication costs, the unique combination of sensors, actuators, and electronic circuits can provide implementation of miniature microsystems featuring unprecedented functionality. Their principles, potentials, and applications in mechatronic systems are the central topic of this contribution

Towards ultra-low power bio-inspired processing

The natural world is analogue and yet the modern microelectronic world with which we interact represents real world data using discrete quantities manipulated by logic. In the human space, we are entering a new wave of body-worn biosensor technology for medical diagnostics and therapy. This new trend is beginning to see the processing interface move back to using continuous quantities, which are more or less in line with the biological processes. We label this computational paradigm “bio-inspired” because of the ability of silicon chip technology which enables the use of inherent device physics, allowing us to approach the computational efficiencies of biology. From a conceptual viewpoint, this has led to a number of more specific morphologies including neuromorphic and retinomorphic processing. These have led scientists to model biological systems such as the cochlea and retina and gain not only superior computational resource efficiency (to conventional hearing aid or camera technology), but also an increased understanding of biological and neurological processes