Cellular Nanocomputers

Cellular Automata have their roots in von Neumann’s research on self-reproduction, but since their debut they have been used for a much wider variety of purposes. In recent years they have attracted attention as architectures for nanocomputers–computers to be realized by nanotechnology. Their highly regular structure is considered an important advantage in this context, because of the potential for fabrication by bottom-up techniques like molecular self-assembly. This article gives an overview of research on cellular automaton-based nanocomputers, and discusses their strong points and challenges.