Not satisfied with resistors, capacitors, and inductors: scientists at HP are working on a new electrical element known as the memristor. A memristor functions as a resistor with the ability to change in resistance variable to the current placed on the element. What makes a memristor desirable for a company like HP is that the alterable resistence of the element can be used to store and more recently process data.
- Switchable between on and off in a nanosecond
- Capability to store up to 4 bits per ‘device’
- Can process data on the device itself
- Quite easy to manufacture for current chip factories