Segmentable Computing

**Segmentable computing**:

- Réf
- **ABG-115355**
- Sujet de Thèse- 20/06/2023- Contrat doctoral- Université de Besançon- Lieu de travail- Montbéliard - Bourgogne-Franche-Comté - France- Intitulé du sujet- Segmentable computing- Champs scientifiques- Informatique
- Mots clés- distributed algorithms**Description du sujet**:
**Context and scientific challenges**

Computing has become part of our everyday lives. The evolution that began with mainframes has continued with personal computers, smartphones and, more recently, connected objects. The idea of this project is to take the integration of computing one step further by integrating it into the inert objects of everyday life right from their design phase, using distributed intelligent micro-electro-mechanical systems (DiMEMS) [1]. Each element of a DiMEMS, which we call a pellet, would comprise a processor, sensor(s) and actuator(s), and a means of communication with its neighbors in a very small individual volume of less than a millimeter. Each pellet taken in isolation would not have a visible impact; it is by acting collectively and in a coordinated way that their action would be useful. Each object containing pellets could then perform intelligent functions. With intelligent paint, we could imagine switches placed on demand, repositionable and reprogrammable, screens integrated directly into objects, biometric sensors, etc. We envisage these pellets being integrated into a polymer that provides structural support and interfaces with sensors and actuators. For example, a muscle could be made from a polymer that contracts when activated by light and activated by small pellets capable of emitting light; a skin could be created from soft rubber filled with smart pellets that detect touch, and a bone from hard plastic containing smart pellets that detect stress. It is also possible to combine pellets with different capabilities to achieve enhanced multifunctionality. For example, a skin could include not only tactile sensing, but also pellets capable of active thermoregulation. It would also be possible to obtain electronics that are stretchable and segmentable, or even cuttable, with the same functionality but a different surface. We could imagine a computer running on a thin support, which could be cut out or glued back together.

**Linking physical and logical topologies**
**Finding, implementing and optimizing basic functions**
We propose to build a segmentable, fully reconfigurable computer made up of RGB pellets aligned on a regular grid. This computer would have a keyboard zone, a touchpad zone and a screen zone. Each zone could be defined dynamically, simply by drawing it. The computer could be cut up by separating pellets to create a modular size. This project will start with Blinky Blocks, then Blinky Blocks with screen and finally 2mm x 2mm M3s.

**Prise de fonction**:

- 01/09/2023**Nature du financement**:

- Contrat doctoral**Précisions sur le financement**:

- This PhD is funded by a grant from the French Ministry of Education, Research and Technology (MENRT) whose amount is approximatively 2200 € gross per month**Présentation établissement et labo d'accueil**:

- Université de BesançonThe FEMTO-ST Institute “Franche-Comté Electronics Mechanics
Thermal Science and Optics - Sciences and Technologies”,
is a joint research institution, which is under the quadruple authority
of the Université de Franche-Comté (UFC), the Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de
Mécanique et Microtechniques (ENSMM) and the Université de
Technologie Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM).

Today, in FEMTO-ST's scientific departments and general services, we count a total staff of more than 750. The Institute is organized into seven departments.

The PhD student will be part of the Department of Computer Science and Complex systems - DISC.

**Site web**:
**Intitulé du doctorat**:

- Computer Science**Pays d'obtention du doctorat**:

- France**Etablissement délivrant le doctorat**:

- UBFC**Ecole doctorale**:

- Sciences physiques pour l'ingénieur et microtechniques - SPIMMaster degree in computer science- 30/06/2023