- AI is so energy-hungry that most data analysis must be performed in the cloud
- New energy-efficient device enables AI tasks to be performed within wearables
- This allows real-time analysis and diagnostics for faster medical interventions
- Researchers tested the device by classifying 10,000 electrocardiogram samples
- The device successfully identified six types of heartbeats with 95% accuracy
Innovative Nanoelectronic Device for Efficient Machine Learning
Forget the cloud.
Northwestern University engineers have developed a new nanoelectronic device that can perform accurate machine-learning classification tasks in the most energy-efficient manner yet. Using 100-fold less energy than current technologies, the device can crunch large amounts of data and perform artificial intelligence (AI) tasks in real-time without beaming data to the cloud for analysis.
With its tiny footprint, ultra-low power consumption, and lack of lag time to receive analyses, the device is ideal for direct incorporation into wearable electronics (like smartwatches and fitness trackers) for real-time data processing and near-instant diagnostics.
Test and Application
To test the concept, engineers used the device to classify large amounts of information from publicly available electrocardiogram (ECG) datasets. Not only could the device efficiently and correctly identify an irregular heartbeat, it also was able to determine the arrhythmia subtype from among six different categories with nearly 95% accuracy.
The research will be published today (October 12) in the journal Nature Electronics.
Conventional vs. New Approach
"Today, most sensors collect data and then send it to the cloud, where the analysis occurs on energy-hungry servers before the results are finally sent back to the user," said Northwestern's Mark C. Hersam, the study's senior author. "This approach is incredibly expensive, consumes significant energy and adds a time delay. Our device is so energy efficient that it can be deployed directly in wearable electronics for real-time detection and data processing, enabling more rapid intervention for health emergencies."
A nanotechnology expert, Hersam is Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. He also is chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, director of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and member of the International Institute of Nanotechnology. Hersam co-led the research with Han Wang, a professor at the University of Southern California, and Vinod Sangwan, a research assistant professor at Northwestern.
Technological Challenges and Breakthroughs
Before machine-learning tools can analyze new data, these tools must first accurately and reliably sort training data into various categories. For example, if a tool is sorting photos by color, then it needs to recognize which photos are red, yellow, or blue in order to accurately classify them. An easy chore for a human, yes, but a complicated — and energy-hungry — job for a machine.
For current silicon-based technologies to categorize data from large sets like ECGs, it takes more than 100 transistors — each requiring its own energy to run. However, Northwestern's nanoelectronic device can perform the same machine-learning classification with just two devices. By reducing the number of devices, the researchers drastically reduced power consumption and developed a much smaller device that can be integrated into a standard wearable gadget.
The secret behind the novel device is its unprecedented tunability, which arises from a mix of materials. While traditional technologies use silicon, the researchers constructed the miniaturized transistors from two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide and one-dimensional carbon nanotubes. So instead of needing many silicon transistors — one for each step of data processing — the reconfigurable transistors are dynamic enough to switch among various steps.
"The integration of two disparate materials into one device allows us to strongly modulate the current flow with applied voltages, enabling dynamic reconfigurability," Hersam said. "Having a high degree of tunability in a single device allows us to perform sophisticated classification algorithms with a small footprint and low energy consumption."
Practical Testing and Future Prospects
To test the device, the researchers looked to publicly available medical datasets. They first trained the device to interpret data from ECGs, a task that typically requires significant time from trained healthcare workers. Then, they asked the device to classify six types of heartbeats: normal, atrial premature beat, premature ventricular contraction, paced beat, left bundle branch block beat, and right bundle branch block beat.
The nanoelectronic device was able to identify accurately each arrhythmia type out of 10,000 ECG samples. By bypassing the need to send data to the cloud, the device not only saves critical time for a patient but also protects privacy.
"Every time data are passed around, it increases the likelihood of the data being stolen," Hersam said. "If personal health data is processed locally — such as on your wrist in your watch — that presents a much lower security risk. In this manner, our device improves privacy and reduces the risk of a breach."
Hersam imagines that, eventually, these nanoelectronic devices could be incorporated into everyday wearables, personalized to each user's health profile for real-time applications. They would enable people to make the most of the data they already collect without sapping power.
"Artificial intelligence tools are consuming an increasing fraction of the power grid," Hersam said. "It is an unsustainable path if we continue relying on conventional computer hardware."
Reference: "Reconfigurable mixed-kernel heterojunction transistors for personalized support vector machine classification" 12 October 2023, Nature Electronics.
DOI: 10.1038/s41928-023-01042-7
The study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and Army Research Office.
News
New study suggests a way to rejuvenate the immune system
Stimulating the liver to produce some of the signals of the thymus can reverse age-related declines in T-cell populations and enhance response to vaccination. As people age, their immune system function declines. T cell [...]
Nerve Damage Can Disrupt Immunity Across the Entire Body
A single nerve injury can quietly reshape the immune system across the entire body. Preclinical research from McGill University suggests that nerve injuries may lead to long-lasting changes in the immune system, and these [...]
Fake Science Is Growing Faster Than Legitimate Research, New Study Warns
New research reveals organized networks linking paper mills, intermediaries, and compromised academic journals Organized scientific fraud is becoming increasingly common, ranging from fabricated research to the buying and selling of authorship and citations, according [...]
Scientists Unlock a New Way to Hear the Brain’s Hidden Language
Scientists can finally hear the brain’s quietest messages—unlocking the hidden code behind how neurons think, decide, and remember. Scientists have created a new protein that can capture the incoming chemical signals received by brain [...]
Does being infected or vaccinated first influence COVID-19 immunity?
A new study analyzing the immune response to COVID-19 in a Catalan cohort of health workers sheds light on an important question: does it matter whether a person was first infected or first vaccinated? [...]
We May Never Know if AI Is Conscious, Says Cambridge Philosopher
As claims about conscious AI grow louder, a Cambridge philosopher argues that we lack the evidence to know whether machines can truly be conscious, let alone morally significant. A philosopher at the University of [...]
AI Helped Scientists Stop a Virus With One Tiny Change
Using AI, researchers identified one tiny molecular interaction that viruses need to infect cells. Disrupting it stopped the virus before infection could begin. Washington State University scientists have uncovered a method to interfere with a key [...]
Deadly Hospital Fungus May Finally Have a Weakness
A deadly, drug-resistant hospital fungus may finally have a weakness—and scientists think they’ve found it. Researchers have identified a genetic process that could open the door to new treatments for a dangerous fungal infection [...]
Fever-Proof Bird Flu Variant Could Fuel the Next Pandemic
Bird flu viruses present a significant risk to humans because they can continue replicating at temperatures higher than a typical fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing or stopping viral [...]
What could the future of nanoscience look like?
Society has a lot to thank for nanoscience. From improved health monitoring to reducing the size of electronics, scientists’ ability to delve deeper and better understand chemistry at the nanoscale has opened up numerous [...]
Scientists Melt Cancer’s Hidden “Power Hubs” and Stop Tumor Growth
Researchers discovered that in a rare kidney cancer, RNA builds droplet-like hubs that act as growth control centers inside tumor cells. By engineering a molecular switch to dissolve these hubs, they were able to halt cancer [...]
Platelet-inspired nanoparticles could improve treatment of inflammatory diseases
Scientists have developed platelet-inspired nanoparticles that deliver anti-inflammatory drugs directly to brain-computer interface implants, doubling their effectiveness. Scientists have found a way to improve the performance of brain-computer interface (BCI) electrodes by delivering anti-inflammatory drugs directly [...]
After 150 years, a new chapter in cancer therapy is finally beginning
For decades, researchers have been looking for ways to destroy cancer cells in a targeted manner without further weakening the body. But for many patients whose immune system is severely impaired by chemotherapy or radiation, [...]
Older chemical libraries show promise for fighting resistant strains of COVID-19 virus
SARS‑CoV‑2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to mutate, with some newer strains becoming less responsive to current antiviral treatments like Paxlovid. Now, University of California San Diego scientists and an international team of [...]
Lower doses of immunotherapy for skin cancer give better results, study suggests
According to a new study, lower doses of approved immunotherapy for malignant melanoma can give better results against tumors, while reducing side effects. This is reported by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in the Journal of the National [...]
Researchers highlight five pathways through which microplastics can harm the brain
Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain. More than 57 million people live with dementia, [...]
