Memristor - HP Researchers Build Intelligent Memory

April 2008

Researchers at HP Labs create the memristor — short for memory resistor - could make it possible to develop far more energy-efficient computing systems with memories that retain information even after the power is off, so there’s no wait for the system to boot up after turning the computer on. It may even be possible to create systems with some of the pattern-matching abilities of the human brain.

Engineers could develop a new kind of computer memory that would supplement and eventually replace today’s commonly used dynamic random access memory (D-RAM). Computers using conventional D-RAM lack the ability to retain information once they are turned off. When power is restored to a D-RAM-based computer, a slow, energy-consuming “boot-up” process is necessary to retrieve data stored on a magnetic disk required to run the system.

Memristor-based computers wouldn’t require that process, using less power and possibly increasing system resiliency and reliability. Chua believes the memristor could have applications for computing, cell phones, video games - anything that requires a lot of memory without a lot of battery-power drain.

As for the human brain-like characteristics, memristor technology could one day lead to computer systems that can remember and associate patterns in a way similar to how people do. This could be used to substantially improve facial recognition technology or to provide more complex biometric recognition systems that could more effectively restrict access to personal information. These same pattern-matching capabilities could enable appliances that learn from experience and computers that can make decisions.

by Jamie Beckett

Source: HP Labs

Links: blog wired - pc world - physorg

I ricercatori di HP Labs hanno realizzato il memristore in grado di conservare la memoria anche a computer spento. Il memristor potrebbe affiancare o rimpiazzare la D-RAM che durante il processo di boot up recupera i dati registrati sull’hard disk.

Oltre al risparmio energetico e a una migliore efficienza del sistema il mermistore potrebbe portare allo sviluppo di una memoria in grado di ricordare e associare schemi con modalità simili a quella del cervello umano.

Nel 1971 l’ingegnere l’ingegnere Leon Chua teorizzo l’esistenza del mermistor.

Links: punto informatico - hw upgrade