Bending the rules with flexible non-silicon 32-bit RISC-V chip
Brit chipmaker Pragmatic Semiconductor has created a 32-bit microprocessor in a "flexible technology that is fully functional while flexed."
The Flex-RV processor isn't about winning performance benchmarks, but creating a new bending compute solution to fit in unconventional places. That said, it does include a programmable machine-learning hardware accelerator and RISC-V instructions for using it, so it can do some simple AI work.
Ditching traditional silicon, commonplace for conventional processors and compute devices, this RISC-V-based microprocessor uses indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transistors layered on polyimide.
IGZO is more commonly found in flat screens and touchscreen devices. In fact, the Flex-RV processor is a chip that works while wrapped around a pencil, while clocking in at a leisurely 60 kHz. But who cares about clock speeds when the aim is cheap and disposable tech?
The Flex-RV sports just 12,600 logic gates, but that's certainly enough to power a new generation of embedded applications – things such as smart bandages, flexible electronics, and interactive packaging. The RV32E Flex-RV chip is programmable, bendable, and affordable. The primary use case is for the everyday devices that silicon can't or won't reach. Cambridge-based Pragmatic's pitch is simple: Put computing where silicon isn't applicable.
