{{Short description|System of microelectromechanical devices}} '''Smartdust'''<ref>''More than Meets the eye''. PC Mag. Mar 12, 2002. Page 30.</ref> is a system of many tiny microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) such as sensors, robots, or other devices, that can detect, for example, light, temperature, vibration, magnetism, or chemicals. They are usually operated on a computer network wirelessly and are distributed over some area to perform tasks, usually sensing through radio-frequency identification. Without an antenna of much greater size the range of tiny smart dust communication devices is measured in a few millimeters and they may be vulnerable to electromagnetic disablement and destruction by microwave exposure.
==Design and engineering== The concepts for Smart Dust emerged from a workshop at RAND in 1992 and a series of DARPA ISAT studies in the mid-1990s due to the potential military applications of the technology.<ref>Rosenthal, Marshal M. "Gamebits: Digital Tricks". ''Games''. Issue 160 (Vol 24, #3). Pg.6. May 2000.</ref> The work was strongly influenced by work at UCLA and the University of Michigan during that period, as well as science fiction authors Stanislaw Lem (in novels ''The Invincible'' in 1964 and ''Peace on Earth'' in 1985), Neal Stephenson and Vernor Vinge. The first public presentation of the concept by that name was at the American Vacuum Society meeting in Anaheim in 1996.
A Smart Dust research proposal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/SmartDustBAA97-43-Abstract.pdf|title=''Smart Dust: BAA97-43 Proposal Abstract'', POC: Kristofer S.J. Pister|website=berkeley.edu|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> was presented to DARPA written by Kristofer S. J. Pister, Joe Kahn, and Bernhard Boser, all from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1997. The proposal, to build wireless sensor nodes with a volume of one cubic millimeter, was selected for funding in 1998. The project led to a working mote smaller than a grain of rice,<ref>{{cite book |last5=Bellew |first5=C.L. |last6=Chediak |first6=J.A. |last7=Kahn |first7=J.M. |last8=Boser |first8=B.E. |last9=Pister |first9=K.S.J. |last1=Warneke |first1=B.A. |last2=Scott |first2=M.D. |last3=Leibowitz |first3=B.S. |last4=Lixia Zhou |title=Proceedings of IEEE Sensors |chapter=An autonomous 16 mm<sup>3</sup> Solar-powered node for distributed wireless sensor networks |doi=10.1109/ICSENS.2002.1037346|s2cid=17152548|date=2002 |volume=2 |pages=1510–1515 |isbn=0-7803-7454-1 }}</ref> and larger "COTS Dust" devices kicked off the TinyOS effort at Berkeley.
The concept was later expanded upon by Kris Pister in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/warneke01smart.html|title=CiteSeerX|website=psu.edu|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> A recent review discusses various techniques to take smartdust in sensor networks beyond millimeter dimensions to the micrometre level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/neural-dust-could-enable-a-fitbit-for-the-nervous-system|title="Neural Dust" Could Enable a Fitbit for the Nervous System|first=Simon|last=Makin|work=Scientific American |date=August 8, 2016 |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>
The Ultra-Fast Systems component of the Nanoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Glasgow is a founding member of a large international consortium which is developing a related concept: smart specks.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://userweb.elec.gla.ac.uk/j/jbarker/sd.html |title=Smart Dust for Space Exploration |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-date=2017-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630074703/http://userweb.elec.gla.ac.uk/j/jbarker/sd.html }}</ref>
Smart Dust entered the Gartner Hype Cycle on Emerging Technologies in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|title=2003 Gartner Hype Cycle on emerging technologies|website=Gartner|access-date=20 August 2016|url=https://www.gartner.com/doc/399359}}</ref> and returned in 2013, as the most speculative entrant.<ref>{{cite web|title=2013 Gartner Hype Cycle on emerging technologies|website=Gartner|access-date=14 September 2015|url=http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819122422/http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2575515|archive-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
In 2022, a Nature paper written by Shyamnath Gollakota, Vikram Iyer, Hans Gaensbauer and Thomas Daniel, all from the University of Washington, presented tiny light-weight programmable battery-free wireless sensors that can be dispersed in the wind.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Iyer |first1=Vikram |last2=Gaensbauer |first2=Hans |last3=Daniel |first3=Thomas L. |last4=Gollakota |first4=Shyamnath |date=2022-03-17 |title=Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices |url=https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10408042 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=603 |issue=7901 |pages=427–433 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9 |pmid=35296847 |bibcode=2022Natur.603..427I |s2cid=247499662 |issn=0028-0836|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507014903/https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10408042 |archive-date=7 May 2024 }}</ref> These devices were inspired by Dandelion seeds that can travel as far as a kilometer in dry, windy, and warm conditions.
==Conspiracy theories== Smartdust has figured in conspiracy theories that claim microscopic devices are dispersed by aircraft ("chemtrails") or injected via vaccines to enable tracking or mind control. A peer-reviewed survey of atmospheric scientists found no evidence for a secret large-scale atmospheric spraying program and concluded that purported "chemtrail" evidence is consistent with ordinary contrails and atmospheric deposition.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shearer |first1=Christine |last2=West |first2=Mick |last3=Caldeira |first3=Ken |last4=Davis |first4=Steven J. |title=Quantifying expert consensus against the existence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program |journal=Environmental Research Letters |date=2016 |volume=11 |issue=8 |article-number=084011 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084011 |bibcode=2016ERL....11h4011S |doi-access=free }}</ref> Fact-checking organizations have likewise found no evidence for related claims, including that Hitachi's so-called "smart dust" RFID chip has GPS capability or could function if ingested,<ref>{{cite web |title=No evidence GPS 'smart dust' is being implanted in humans |website=Full Fact |date=12 November 2021 |url=https://fullfact.org/online/hitachi-smart-dust-gps/ |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> and that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips or "nanobots"; the lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines are delivery vehicles for RNA, not tracking devices.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fact check: Lipid nanoparticles in a COVID-19 vaccine are there to transport RNA molecules |work=Reuters |date=5 December 2020 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-vaccine-nanoparticles-idUSKBN28F0I9 |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=FDA-Approved 'Electronic Pill' Isn't Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccines Contain Microchips |website=FactCheck.org |date=26 May 2022 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2022/05/scicheck-pfizer-ceo-not-referencing-covid-19-vaccines-contrary-to-false-impression-in-posts-about-microchips/ |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> Analyses of social-media discourse further indicate that the chemtrails narrative dominates much online discussion of geoengineering despite scientific rejection of the theory.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tingley |first1=Dustin |last2=Wagner |first2=Gernot |title=Solar geoengineering and the chemtrails conspiracy on social media |journal=Humanities and Social Sciences Communications |date=31 October 2017 |volume=3 |article-number=12 |doi=10.1057/s41599-017-0014-3 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-017-0014-3 |access-date=26 August 2025|doi-access=free }}</ref>
== Social and ethical concerns ==
The impact of smart dust on society may involve thousands to millions of sensors that can float in the air and be inhaled. The long-term health effects of this exposure are unknown, which creates uncertainty and worry. Possible risks include respiratory problems or effects on the nervous system, though nothing has been confirmed. Because these sensors are largely invisible, they can create a feeling of being monitored by an unseen presence<ref>{{Cite web |title=Are we all breathing SMART dust? - Brite Innovation Review {{!}} Issue 31 {{!}} Winter 2023 |url=https://brite.ikeinstitute.org/brite_innovation_review_issue_31_winter_2023/are_we_all_breathing_smart_dust |website=brite.ikeinstitute.org |language=en}}</ref> (i.e., the risk of unauthorized surveillance and data collection<ref>{{Cite web |title=AI-Powered Smart Dust Will Make Every Object Intelligent – Privacy Advocates Alarmed |url=https://smartcr.org/ai-technologies/ai-in-edge-computing/ai-powered-smart-dust-will-make-every-object-intelligent-privacy-advocates-alarmed |website=SmartCR |language=en}}</ref>). The smart dust technology could be misused for unethical purposes, potentially leading to public trust issues. Therefore, clear ethical rules from the government are needed to make sure smart dust is used in a way that respects people and humanitarian law. Smart dust could widen social inequalities, affecting not just countries but also different social groups and individuals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Filipović |first=Aleksandar M. |last2=Bjelajac |first2=Željko |last3=Stošić |first3=Lazar |title=Smart Dust Technology: Convergence of Virtual and Physical |url=https://zenodo.org/records/14706408 |journal=PaKSoM 2024 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.14706408}}</ref>
The application of smart dust has led to discussion about potential privacy concerns, mainly due to the extremely small size (invisible eyes)<ref>{{cite web |last=Geißer |first=Otto |title=Smart Dust – unsichtbare Augen, die alles erkennen |url=https://www.bigdata-insider.de/smart-dust-unsichtbare-augen-die-alles-erkennen-a-83c8e8f2c0049a725cdd993f0d1c9e33/ |website=BigData-Insider.de |language=de |access-date=10 December 2025}}</ref> of the devices, which makes them difficult to detect.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aileni |first1=Raluca Maria |last2=Suciu |first2=George |last3=Serrano |first3=Martin |last4=Maheswar |first4=R. |last5=Valderrama Sakuyama |first5=Carlos Alberto |last6=Pasca |first6=Sever |chapter=The Perspective of Smart Dust Mesh Based on IoEE for Safety and Security in the Smart Cities |title=Integration of WSN and IoT for Smart Cities |series=EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing |publisher=Springer |location=Cham |date=2020-03-19 |pages=151–179 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-38516-3_9 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-38516-3_9 }}</ref> Because smart dust sensors are designed to be embedded in their environment and operate without being easily noticed, this lack of physical visibility has been cited as a factor that makes it difficult to know when and where monitoring is happening.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Beckwith |first=Richard |title=Designing for ubiquity: the perception of privacy |journal=IEEE Pervasive Computing |year=2003 |doi=10.1109/MPRV.2003.1203752 |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1203752 |publisher=IEEE }}</ref> This has raised concerns that these devices may collect information from people who have not explicitly given their consent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Smart Dust? |url=https://builtin.com/articles/smart-dust |website= builtin |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Pathmabandu |first=Chehara |last2=Grundy |first2=John |last3=Chhetri |first3=Mohan Baruwal |last4=Baig |first4=Zubair |title=Privacy for IoT: Informed consent management in Smart Buildings |journal=Future Generation Computer Systems |volume=145 |date=August 2023 |pages=367–383 |doi=10.1016/j.future.2023.03.045 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167739X23001322 |publisher=Elsevier }}</ref>
== Economic and environmental concerns == Integrating smart dust into existing systems is very expensive, especially when it is deployed in large systems or satellites. Because of the high costs, many organizations cannot afford it. Another problem is control. Since smart dust devices are extremely small, they are hard to detect and difficult to remove if they stop working properly. If something goes wrong, authorities may not be able to control them and the devices could interfere with existing systems and cause failures.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-11-23 |title=Here is everything you need to know about Smart Dust Technology |url=https://www.rigorousweb.com/here-is-everything-you-need-to-know-about-smart-dust-technology/ |website=Rigorous Web |language=en}}</ref>
The volume of smart dust that could be engaged by a rogue individual, company or government to do harm would make it challenging to predict the environmental effects,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marr |first=Bernard |date=2021-07-02 |title=Smart Dust Is Coming. Are You Ready? |url=https://bernardmarr.com/smart-dust-is-coming-are-you-ready/ |access-date=2026-01-08 |website=Bernard Marr |language=en-GB}}</ref> especially when the motes stop functioning. Smart dust can contain hazardous materials, which can affect the ecosystem. The devices can contribute to increased carbon emissions which is another environmental concern.<ref name=":0" /> Some environmental concerns might be raised about motes that draw on radioactive power sources.<ref>Smart Dust, UH ISRC Technology Briefing, Prepared by: Doug Steel, https://www.bauer.uh.edu/uhisrc/ftb/smart%20dust/smart%20dust.pdf<nowiki/>(PDF)</ref> Improper disposal of these miniature devices can result in environmental contamination, similar to how microplastics accumulate and persist in ecosystems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghosh |first=Swarnali |date=2025-06-10 |title=Smart Dust: Security Risks and Applications of Microelectromechanical Sensors |url=https://www.amerisourcecon.com/post/smart-dust-security-risks-and-applications-of-microelectromechanical-sensors |access-date=2026-01-08 |website=AmeriSOURCE |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * {{Annotated link|Claytronics}} * {{Annotated link|A Deepness in the Sky|''A Deepness in the Sky''}} * {{Annotated link|The Diamond Age|''The Diamond Age''}} * {{Annotated link|Dust Networks}} * {{Annotated link|Grey goo}} * {{Annotated link|The Invincible|''The Invincible''}} * {{Annotated link|Mesh networking}} * {{Annotated link|Nanotechnology}} * {{Annotated link|Neural dust}} * {{Annotated link|Prey (novel)|''Prey'' (novel)}} * {{Annotated link|Programmable matter}} * {{Annotated link|Radio-frequency identification|RFID}} * {{Annotated link|Self-reconfiguring modular robot}} * {{Annotated link|Smart camera}} * {{Annotated link|Smart camera network}} * {{Annotated link|TinyOS}} * {{Annotated link|Ubiquitous computing}} * {{Annotated link|Unconventional computing}} * {{Annotated link|Utility fog}} * {{Annotated link|Wireless sensor network}}
==References== <references/>
==External links== * [http://computer.howstuffworks.com/mote1.htm Motes] at How Stuff Works *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050613075906/http://www.tinyos.net/ Open source mote designs and TinyOS operating system from UC Berkeley] * [https://net-of-things.blogspot.com/ Rethinking The Internet of Things]—Nature driven view of M2M cloud communications based on lightweight chirp devices. * [http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/ UC Berkeley Smart Dust Project] * [http://sensor-networks.org/index.php?page=0823123150 Info about smart dust communications] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319184855/http://sensor-networks.org/index.php?page=0823123150 |date=2012-03-19}}) * [http://sailorgroup.ucsd.edu/ Sailor research group at UCSD] * [http://www.specknet.org SpeckNet research groups based in Scotland] * [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/science/earth/10wire.html Web of Sensors]: "In the wilds of the San Jacinto Mountains, along a steep canyon, scientists are turning {{Convert|30|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of pines and hardwoods in California into a futuristic vision of environmental study. They are linking up more than 100 tiny sensors, robots, cameras and computers, which are beginning to paint an unusually detailed portrait of this lush world, home to more than 30 rare and endangered species. Much of the instrumentation is wireless. Devices the size of a deck of cards—known as motes, after dust motes..." * [http://www.scdigest.com/assets/FirstThoughts/05-08-25.cfm?cid=221&ctype=content Technologies to watch: motes] * [http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2009/06/molecular_shuttle_power.asp Molecular shuttle power]: Smart dust biosensors may be smaller than a grain of sand but they have big potential–An [http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Instant_insights.asp Instant Insight] from the Royal Society of Chemistry * [http://www.betabatt.com/ Betavoltaic batteries] from 2.5 micrometres cubed upwards, 10- to 30-year lifespan. {{MEMS Devices}} {{Computer sizes}} {{Wireless Sensor Network}} {{Robotics}} {{Ambient intelligence}}
Category:Artificial materials Category:Microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems Category:Microtechnology Category:Sensors Category:Smart materials Category:Wireless sensor network