PHOTO BY DEXMAC ON PIXABAY

Engineers in a Canadian lab have developed compressed air microchips that operate without electricity. These processors rely on airflow, not circuits, to handle basic computations.

With 3D-printed channels and pressure-sensitive switches, they work where electronics fail. Ideal for extreme or off-grid environments, they introduce a quiet, resilient form of computing powered entirely by air—not wires or batteries.

Pneumatic Logic Without Wires

Compressed air replaces electricity in these microchips, using airflow to activate pressure-sensitive switches. Tiny pistons and valves serve as binary logic gates, performing basic operations without a single wire. In the following post, you’ll see how researchers in a Canadian lab built this system entirely from compressed air and structural design:

Each chip, about the size of a thumbnail, is 3D-printed with internal channels that control air pulses. These timed pressure changes allow the chip to process logic and even store data.

No sparks, no circuits—just structure and flow. It’s computing executed through precision mechanics rather than electrical charge.

Thrives Where Electronics Fail

These chips withstand radiation, heat, and electromagnetic pulses—conditions that disable typical electronics. They’re ideal for places like MRI machines, nuclear sites, or EMP zones. In the following post, you’ll see a clear visual explanation of radiation hardening and how it protects devices from high-radiation damage:

With no circuits to short, they keep running where others fail. Their structure-based design offers consistent performance despite harsh exposure.

That durability makes them reliable in disaster zones, military operations, and space-bound systems.

Air-Driven and Fully Modular

Power comes from compressed air tanks, hand pumps, or ambient airflow—no batteries or grid needed. That makes these chips well-suited for off-grid use and emergency tech. In the following video, researchers show how air logic can be embedded in 3D-printed objects to create fully functional, electricity-free computing systems:

Each chip can connect with others to build full computing systems, forming a modular architecture. They can also link with analog pressure sensors to create interactive, air-only machines.

This approach redefines what computing can look like: no hum of electricity, just a quiet hiss of logic in motion.