Distributed Intelligent MEMS: Progresses and Perspectives

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) research has, until recently, focused mainly on the engineering process, resulting in interesting products and a growing market. To fully realize the promise of MEMS, the next step is to add embedded intelligence. With embedded intelligence, the scalability of manufacturing will enable distributed intelligent MEMS systems, consisting of thousands or millions of units that can work together to achieve a common goal. However, before such systems can become a reality, we must come to grips with the challenge of scalability, which will require paradigm shifts in both hardware and software. Furthermore, the need for coordinated actuation, programming, communication, and mobility management raises new challenges in both control and programming. The objective of this paper is to report on the progress and remaining challenges in these areas by examining two examples.