SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY
WHAT IS WETWARE?
In the world of computing, wetware describes systems built using living biological materials like neurons or DNA.
Unlike hardware( physical devices) or software( the digital instructions they run), wetware involves biological tissues that compute, learn and adapt.
In the 1990s, Professor William Ditto at Georgia Institute of Technology used leech neurons to perform basic arithmetic. The experiment proved that even these simple biological components can process information.
In this field, researchers and technologists use actual neurons or other biological materials to perform calculations, process information and even respond to changes in real time. The aim is to mimic how the human brain operates – efficiently, adaptively and with low energy use.
Wetware ultimately connects computer science, neuroscience and bioengineering. It may open a path to systems that are self-healing, naturally adaptive and capable of handling vast streams of information in ways traditional silicon computers cannot match.
Cortical’ s CL1 biocomputer houses approximately 800,000 living human brain cells cultured on a silicon chip and sustained by a life-support system. Then, the company’ s proprietary biOS allows software code deployment directly to these neurons, creating hybrid systems of“ hard silicon and soft tissue”.
Founder and CEO Hon Weng Chong explains:“ The only machine or the only thing that we know of that actually has true intelligence is the brain. So, we said,‘ let’ s start with the basic building blocks – neurons – and build our way up and maybe we’ ll get there along the way’.”
These biological systems, though requiring meticulous maintenance and surviving only around six months, promise computing capabilities that are adaptive, self-healing and able to process complex data streams far more efficiently than traditional chips.
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