The promise of smart wearables has long been hindered by rigid, power-hungry chips. Researchers from Tsinghua University and Peking University have now bridged this gap with FLEXI, a new family of flexible AI chips thinner than a human hair.

The research — published in the journal Nature — highlights a significant architectural shift: compute-in-memory. Unlike current wearables that must offload data to external processors or cloud backends, FLEXI processes information directly on its circuitry. Per the researchers, this on-device capability eliminates the energy cost of shuttling data between memory and a processor, allowing the chip to consume less than 1% of the energy used by standard silicon.

The chip’s physical design is equally striking. Built using low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) on a flexible plastic base, the device can be stretched, twisted, and even crumpled. In bend tests, FLEXI survived over 40,000 bending cycles and was folded to a radius of just one millimeter without any loss in performance.

Real-world trials with volunteers showcased the chip’s medical potential. FLEXI identified irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia) with 99.2% accuracy and tracked physical movements like walking and cycling with 97.4% accuracy.

Interestingly, FLEXI is designed for mass adoption. With production costs targeted at less than $1 per unit, this technology could pave the way for smart textiles and AI-embedded garments that are currently not economically feasible. While the team aims to integrate more complex sensors in the future, FLEXI currently stands as a high-fidelity, low-power solution for the next generation of physically adaptable electronics.

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Chibuike Okpara – Tech Writer – 391 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, “Why not get into writing tech articles?” It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a ‘bookworm’ of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.