Could honey be used in the future of computing? Engineers have demonstrated that honey can be used to develop green components for neuromorphic computers, systems designed to mimic the human brain. Neuromorphic systems are much faster and consume much less power than traditional computers.
In a study published in the Journal of Physics D, researchers led by Feng Zhao, an associate professor in WSU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, demonstrated that honey can be used to make a memristor, a component used to process and store data in neuromorphic systems. Zhao did this by transforming honey into a solid form that could be sandwiched between two metal electrodes, creating a synapse-like structure in the brain.
Researchers are looking for biodegradable and renewable solutions for this new neuromorphic computing. Although other options are also being tested, such as sugar from Aloe vera leaves, honey is a particularly strong candidate.
“Honey doesn’t spoil,” Zhou says. “It has a very low moisture concentration, so bacteria cannot survive in it. This means that these computer chips will be very stable and reliable for a long time.”
Honey-based memristors will also reduce electronic waste.
“When we want to dispose of devices using computer chips made with honey, we can easily dissolve them in water,” Zhou said. “Because of these special properties, honey is very useful for creating renewable and biodegradable neuromorphic systems.”
The International Iberoamerican University (UNIB) offers studies related to this topic, such as:
Source: Honey holds potential for making brain-like computer chips
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