Bending the Rules with RISC-V

Nature journal has recently published an innovative research article by Pragmatic Semiconductor, unveiling a groundbreaking Bendable Non-silicon RISC-V Microprocessor. This cutting-edge technology represents a significant milestone as the world's first 32-bit microprocessor designed to be flexible while maintaining full functionality even when bent.

Notably, this remarkable microprocessor is also equipped with embedded Machine Learning (ML) capabilities, making it the first of its kind in the realm of flexible semiconductor devices. The research detailed in the article was a collaborative effort involving experts from Qamcom, renowned for their proficiency in hardware, software, and system development, as well as researchers from Harvard University.

Emre Ozer, the Senior Director of Processor Development at Pragmatic and the lead researcher on this project, expressed his enthusiasm about this groundbreaking achievement. He stated, "This is an exciting step forward in flexible semiconductor technology. Enabling an open-standard, non-silicon 32-bit microprocessor will democratise access to computing, unlocking emerging applications while opening the door to sub-dollar compute."

The development of this bendable microprocessor addresses longstanding challenges related to cost and form-factor limitations that have hindered the integration of intelligent computing capabilities at the item level. Industries such as fast-moving consumer goods, wearables, and single-use healthcare equipment have often faced constraints due to the minimal computational requirements necessary for their functionality.

To delve deeper into the research findings and explore the implications of this groundbreaking technology, you can access the full research article here.