Project

Microfluidic Logic

This project aims to demonstrate rapid-prototyping of logic gates in the field. We are working on a candidate mechanism of microfluidic logic at low Reynolds numbers. Cascades of appropriate, simple, nonlinear elements allow synthesis of any logic arbitrary nonlinear function. We are using the nonlinear medium of air because it is so readily available. We are studying Newtonian fluid flow at low Reynolds numbers in specially designed micro-geometries ranging from 100 microns to a few microns. Fluidic Logic was an active field of research in the 60s and 70s, but died prematurely because it could not keep up with the shrinking sizes and improved performance of electronic circuits. Current manufacturing processes can easily create extremely small feature sizes, made possible by increasing the resolution of precision machines and improved metrology techniques.