Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gabriel Zi Jie Loke

Yoel Fink

Tural Khudiyev

Rodger Yuan

A fiber computer has a fiber body including electrically insulating fiber body material along the length of the fiber body. Electrical conductors are disposed within the fiber body and are operative to transmit electrical power, electrical ground, clock signals, and data signals through the fiber body. Input units disposed within the fiber body accept external stimuli. Microcontroller microchips disposed within the fiber body process stimuli accepted by an input unit. Memory module microchips within the fiber body store data and communicate with microcontroller microchips. Output units produce an output directed out of the fiber body. A clock signal generator within the fiber body synchronizes operation of input units, microcontroller microchips, memory module microchips, and output units. Each of the computer input units, microcontroller microchips, memory module microchips, and computer output units are disposed in electrical connection with the plurality of electrical conductors for fiber computer operation within the fiber body.

Fiber and fabric computers

In a method for printing a three dimensional structure, a continuous length of fiber that includes, interior to a surface of the fiber, a plurality of different materials arranged as an in-fiber functional domain, with at least two electrical conductors disposed in the functional domain in electrical contact with at least one functional domain material, is dispensed through a single heated nozzle. After sections of the length of fiber are dispensed from the heated nozzle, the sections are fused together in an arrangement of a three dimensional structure. The structure can thereby include a continuous length of fiber of least three different materials arranged as an in-fiber functional device, with the continuous length of fiber disposed as a plurality of fiber sections that are each in a state of material fusion with another fiber section in a spatial arrangement of the structure.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Gabriel Zi Jie Loke