This tiny swimming robot can think for itself

With the help of the Michigan Micro Mote, researchers at U. Pennsylvania have developed programmable microscopic autonomous robots. David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester were collaborators on the paper presented at an American Physical Society meeting in March 2024.

$900,000 Awarded to Optimize Graphene Energy Harvesting Devices

Prof. David Blaauw is part of University of Arkansas research project that’s working to develop graphene energy harvesters. Blaauw will oversee fabrication of the “Michigan Micro-Mote” sensors custom designed for seamless integration with each type of graphene power harvester.

U-M leads research translating semiconductor innovation for broad societal impact

ECE Professors talk about the University of Michigan’s commitment to translating semiconductor research and innovation for broader societal impact.

These Tiny Sensors Are Saving Snails

This video shows how the Michigan team’s tiny computers (called the Michigan Micro Mote) are being used for conservation efforts for even small invertebrates.

Tiny sensor used to track the migratory patterns of monarch butterflies

ECE alumnus and now U Pittsburgh professor Inhee Lee talks about a now multi-institutional collaboration involving U-M, the M3 and the monarch butterfly.

Tiny snail computers

Michigan Radio talks about innovative technology that came out of ECE and EEB to help figure out what’s killing tiny snails.

Snail Computers

Prof. David Blaauw talks with BYUradio about the Michigan Micro Mote and how it helped solve a snail mass extinction mystery.

Tiny computers mounted on snail shells helped reveal how one species escaped extinction

In this feature story, CBC showcases the new study done by ECE and EEB researchers using the Michigan Micro Mote to learn how some snails use sunlight to hide from invasive predators

How Do You Solve an Extinction Mystery? Put a Tiny Computer on a Snail.

The New York Times features the Michigan Micro Mote and how it helped solve a mass extinction snail survivor mystery.

Snail Survivors (The Poetry of Science)

UK author of the blog “The Poetry of Science” wrote a poem called Snail Survivors about the research collaboration between developers of the world’s smallest computer and biologists.

World’s smallest computer helps solve mystery of snail species survival

This partnership between biologists and engineers yields scientific insights into a surviving species of Tahitian tree snails, while also proving the viability for very small animal studies using the Michigan Micro Mote.

Tracking Monarch Butterfly Migration with the World’s Smallest Computer-Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh highlights the contribution of Inhee Lee, an ECE alum, in the project using Michigan Micro Motes to track monarch butterfly migration.

Tracking monarch butterfly migration with the world’s smallest computer

Phys.org re-publishes our piece on how researchers from ECE and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology are using the Michigan Micro Mote to track monarch migration in unprecedented ways.

Monarch Conservation Spotlight: M3 Monarch Migration Study

The “Monarch Conservation Spotlight” series highlights impactful projects, programs and organizations working hard to address the declining trend across North American monarch populations, including those involved in a project to track Monarch butterflies: Professors David Blaauw, Hun-Seok Kim, InHee Lee, and Andre Green.

ECE professors help robots better navigate the world

IEEE Spectrum highlights the work done by Professors Dennis Sylvester, David Blaauw, and Hun-Seok Kim improving SLAM technology.

3 New Chips to Help Robots Find Their Way Around

Intel and academic groups, including the team of Blaauw, Kim, and Sylvester, are designing specialized hardware to speed path planning and other aspects of robot coordination

The Smallest Computer in the World Fits On a Grain of Rice

The University of Michigan just defeated IBM in creating this tiny computing device designed by ECE Professors David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester.

The Smallest Computer in the World Fits On a Grain of Rice

The University of Michigan just defeated IBM in creating this tiny computing device.

Chip designer Ambiq Micro raises $11M of planned $20M offering

Ambiq Micro is a U-M startup based on microchip technology co-founded in 2009 by Scott Hanson (BSE MSE PhD EE ’04 ’06 ’09) and his thesis advisors, Prof. Dennis Sylvester and Prof. David Blaauw.

Startup Maps AI into Flash Array

EE Times profiles Mythic, an AI accelerator chip startup founded in 2012 at U-M by EECS alumnus Mike Henry and Dave Fick mentored by Professors David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester.

Mythic snags $40 million to advance AI chips

Mythic is an AI accelerator chip startup founded in 2012 at U-M by EECS alumnus Mike Henry and Dave Fick mentored by Professors David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester.

This is the world’s smallest computer

Computers used to consume whole rooms, but now one computer can fit on the edge of a nickel. At just one millimeter cubed, the Michigan Micro Mote (M^3) is the smallest autonomous computer in the world.

Researchers unveil first mm-scale computing system

Researchers at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco demonstrate a prototype implantable eye pressure monitor and a tiny new radio.

Tiny solar-powered sensor runs almost forever

A tiny solar-powered sensor, smaller than Abe Lincoln’s head on a penny, can supply almost perpetual energy, its creators say.