Intel hopes its experimental, 48-core processor will lead to notebooks with human-equivalent vision

The 48-core Intel processor has been dubbed the 'single-chip cloud computer' and may be used to redefine the modern computing experience

Intel has designed and created a 48-core processor, which it hopes will inspire software developers, hardware manufacturers and HCI innovators, to develop new, pioneering products that will revolutionise the modern computing experience. The 45nm high-k metal-gate silicon chip  consumes just 25 watts at normal operating levels, and 125 watts at maximum performance.  Intel plans to encourage research and development in parallel processing, by sharing over 100 of their experimental chips with industry leaders and academic researchers, during 2010. One objective of this hands-on research initiative, is to uncover new programming models that can utilise such immense parallel processing power, and consequently, lead to original software applications. 

Parallel processing is the well-known method used by our brains to interact with the world, and utilising it in computing means that the performance potential for future hardware and software, is only limited by our imaginations. Intel envisages a world where notebooks may be able to see us, with the equivalent of human vision. Such notebooks could be used to capture our image and display our three dimensional digital reflection wearing clothes we'd like to buy from an online store. Clothes shopping this way means we would be able to see the weight and colour of fabric on our limbs, and visualise our range of motion. Other imaginative uses include engaging our notebooks in virtual dancing lessons, or operating our computers using brainwaves alone. 

It may be a long time before we see such technology in mainstream devices however, because the challenge of programming such technology is tremendous. This is because each silicon chip contains a record-breaking 48, fully programmable processing cores and current software is just managing to utilise two core processors. However, the 48-core prototype allows current parallel programming techniques, such as those found in cloud datacenter software, to be applied to it. In addition to this, Intel hopes the inclusion of high-speed networks between cores, for the sharing of information and data, will aid programmers with their research. Utilising such networks means that applications can transfer information between cooperating cores in microseconds, which Intel states will reduce the need to access data in slower, external system memory.  

Other exciting features of the new chips include the dynamic management of cores, which enables software to use just the right amount of cores to complete each task, thereby ensuring maximum energy efficiency and performance. Cores are also able to execute related tasks, by cooperating in an assembly line fashion, passing results of completed tasks to the next available core. 

Researchers from Intel, HP and Yahoo's open cloud-computing research collaboration, Open Cirrus, have commenced porting cloud applications to the chip, using Hadoop. Microsoft have also partnered with Intel, to explore opportunities in cloud applications, and their early research with the chip has yielded some plans for future applications and programming techniques. More detailed information about the chip's architecture and circuits will be published next February at the International Solid State Circuits Conference, where Intel will present its paper. You can watch a video of the developers presenting and discussing the new chip here.