A Study of Massively Parallel Molecular Computing - Creating IntBrconnection'Free Computers -

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The exponential growth of VLSI circuit complexity causes interconnection problems to become particularly severe. This research project is to investigate a possibility of interconnectionfree molecular computing from the viewpoint of integrated circuit technlogy as well as fundametal computer science. Listed below are major results of this project:1. We proposed a basic model of artificial catalyst devices for molecular computing, and investigated some possible approaches to device implementation. We investigated a possibility of realizing massively parallel computation using reaction-diffusion dynamics induced by a collective behavior of artificial catalyst devices, which are fabricated on a 2D substrate. As a first step for demonstrating the proposed concept, we developed an experimental model of a redox microarray consisting of a two-dimensional array of platinum microelectrodes, each of which works as an artificial catalyst device. We confirmed that the redox microarray could control reversible redox reactions in a thin liquid layer on the surface of the array, and could realize artificial excitable reacton diffusion-dynamics. We successfully observed active chemical-wave propagation within the liquid layer.2. We investigated a systematic way of designing artificial reactiondiffusion dynamics for performong specific image/pattern processing. We employed the framework of Digital Rraction Diffusion Systems (DRDSs) --- a special class of multidimensional digital filters having pattern/texture formation capability --- for theoretical discussion. Wedveloped a new restoration algorithm for texture images, such as fingerprint images, on the basis of DRDS. We also developed a shortest path search algorithm for arbitrary 2D/3D maps using excitable DRDSs.Further investigations on a systematic way of designing molecular computing systems are deing left as future research subjects.