*very cool* IBM "Millipede" storage technology

[bizmark]

Rather than using traditional magnetic or electronic means to store data, Millipede uses thousands of nano-sharp tips to punch indentations representing individual bits into a thin plastic film. The result is akin to a nanotech version of the venerable data processing 'punch card' developed more than 110 years ago, but with two crucial differences: the 'Millipede' technology is re-writeable (meaning it can be used over and over again), and may be able to store more than 3 billion bits of data in the space occupied by just one hole in a standard punch card.

http://www.research.ibm.com/resources/news/20020611_millipede.shtml

w0w.

Sorry if this is a repost, I did a few searches like "IBM storage" and "millipede" but nothing came up.....

 

[nightowl]

Very cool, but will it be more reliably than their "pixie-dust" technology. We don't want another 75GXP.

 

[kazeakuma]

Damn cool concept, but they don't say if the write process degrades the media over time, which I imagine it would, albeit slowly.

 

[bizmark]

ttt

 

[m2kewl]

Originally posted by: kazeakuma
Damn cool concept, but they don't say if the write process degrades the media over time, which I imagine it would, albeit slowly.

case in point - look at the 75gxp lines

 

[CedarTeeth135]

Interesting, but I wonder how they will make it re-writeable. Flatten out the card?

 

[silent tone]

Originally posted by: CedarTeeth135
Interesting, but I wonder how they will make it re-writeable. Flatten out the card?

Judging from the pictures and what they said near the end of the article, several punches are made around the perimiter of old bits. I guess it just gets mashed back into shape.

I wonder what happens with vibration and shock.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: kazeakuma
Damn cool concept, but they don't say if the write process degrades the media over time, which I imagine it would, albeit slowly.

I may be reading stuff between the lines that's not really there, but to me the following paragraph from the article seems to imply that the media currently has a limited amount of rewrite cycles...

To over-write data, the tip makes a series of offset pits that overlap so closely their edges fill in the old pits, effectively erasing the unwanted data. More than 100,000 write/over-write cycles have demonstrated the re-write capability of this concept.

Anyhow, it does appear to be a promising technology, although even if they overcame the supposed limited rewrite problem, it would at this point be too slow for use as a SSD in a desktop system. Wait, it's not really SSD anyway; nevermind...