Prof. Junqiao Wu’s group developed in-memory sensors that mimic neurons
Concept image of an autonomous underwater robotic snake surveying metal construction. (Image by Andrey Suslov/iStock)
The Wu group reports a high-speed in-memory sensor based on vanadium dioxide (VO2) that operates without an external voltage by leveraging built-in electric fields within the Debye length. The "memsensor" mimics Caenorhabditis elegans chemosensory plasticity to guide a miniature boat for adaptive chemotaxis, illustrating low-power aquatic neurorobotics with fewer memory units. This breakthrough could pave the way for simpler, more energy-efficient sensors and adaptive robots capable of operating in complex environments. It may also open exciting possibilities for next-generation computing systems that integrate memory and sensing in liquid settings, much like how biological neurons function in the brain’s wet, ionic environment.
For more details: https://engineering.berkeley.