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Flexible: British startup Pragmatic Semiconductor has unveiled a 32-bit microprocessor that can run machine learning models while also being bendable – all for under a dollar. Named Flex-RV, this chip is based on the open standard RISC-V architecture and utilizes an entirely different material to achieve its highly adaptable design.
That material is called indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), which replaces the more conventional silicon. The key innovation lies in avoiding the complex (and expensive) packaging that silicon chips require to protect their brittle nature from the stresses induced by flexing. Instead, IGZO transistors can be printed directly onto plastic substrates at low temperatures.
Pragmatic’s demo showcases the Flex-RV being rolled up around a straw and then unfurling to continue executing code undisturbed. While the demonstrator handled the board with extra care – suggesting you can’t exactly flap …