Kyle Harrington

Evolution and artificial life · 2010

En Route to Signal Inversion in Chemical Computing

Michael Heymann, Kyle I. Harrington, Jordan Pollack, Seth Fraden

Proceedings of the Alife XII Conference, Odense, Denmark

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Abstract

We investigate the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction as a substrate for computation. Expanding on previous research, we present a new technique that utilizes two modes of the BZ reaction, excitation and oscillation, and selective diffusive coupling. We show in simulation that this technique can be used to invert input signals, providing the logical operator, NOT. Our system can readily compute NOR, which when connected in multiples is sufficient for simulating any other logical operator. Furthermore, progress to experimentally implement these operators and to wire them into circuits using soft lithography and replica molding is presented.