We sure have come a long way when it comes to computing. Not only is everything smarter than it used to be, but it continues to get smaller and smaller. A teensy autonomous computer called the Michigan Micro Mote, or M^3, designed for the Internet of Things (IoT), might just be the smallest computer in the world. It measures just 1 cubic millimeter, but somehow still packs sensors and features inside of it. It makes reminiscing the days where basic graphing calculators took up entire rooms seem like a ridiculously distant memory.

The students and researchers at the University of Michigan have been working on the Micro Mote for over a decade. Roughly the size of a grain of rice, it has been designed to work with IoT to give everyday common objects intelligence, and part of this means fitting inside almost anything. The device is a complete computing node with wireless sensing. It has the ability to take pictures with a low-resolution imager, read temperatures, as well as record pressure readings. Using Wi-Fi it is able to communicate with its operator, and for power it harnesses solar energy using its small internal battery (Slash Gear).

The researchers plan on incorporating its teeny-tiny computer capabilities into medical and industrial applications. Among the many functions in the medical field, Micro Mote may be used as a portal through the human body for performing ECGs, temperature, and pressure readings (First Post). The oil industry could also use Micro Mote for detecting pockets of oil in oil wells. As far as the IoT, Micro Motes could be sought after for its wireless communicative properties, allowing folks to simply stick some to their keys, wallets, and other belongings to keep tabs on them. Anytime the device needs charging or programming, it is an autonomous process done by strobing light at a high frequency, where communication is sent via radio frequencies.

For these reasons the Micro Mote is essentially a self sustainable computer, making it ideal for everyday smart objects. The researchers at Michigan University say it is ready for production now, and are even working on a smaller computer they are already calling “smart dust”.