Goal of the project

i-EDGE is an EU-funded project that aims to bring intelligence to devices operating under harsh environments at the edge of the network by building a next-generation computing platform based on nano-electro-mechanical relays: NEM switches. 

The NEM switches can operate under extremely harsh electronic environments, such as temperatures up to 300 C, and also, due to their mechanical characteristics, their standby power is zero. Utilizing these valuable advantages over CMOS, i-EDGE will bring memory and computation to the industrial edge environments. 

Output of the project

The i-EDGE project has multiple partners with diverse expertise, such as RF design, NEMS manufacturing, and SoC design. All partners work together to develop a full-stack NEM-based design framework, such as synthesis tools, firmware, software development, and also manufacturing and reliability evaluation. By the end of the project, a NEM-based FPGA with supported CAD tools will be provided to hardware developers to unlock edge computing at its most extreme cases. 

TUWien Contributions

In i-EDGE, TUWIEN expertise will be critical for the development of computer-aided design (CAD) tools, firmware, and software for NEM-based SoC comprising field-programmable gate array (FPGA), ASIC, non-volatile memory (NVM), and RF parts of the designs.

Here, we are doing research on methods to bring intelligence and AI capabilities into the devices built with NEM technology. For instance, developing an AI-based fault detection system using NEM technology for deployment at the edge of harsh industrial environments is our primary focus.