Review of the Intelligent Sensor-Memory-Control Fusion Systems

The ability to sense light, heat, and touch is vital for human beings, underpinning the interaction between humans and the environment. To mimic the biological perception system, the sensory system converts external light, heat, and mechanical inputs into electrical signals, then processing and storing the data in digital hardware before providing feedback. However, modern digital sensing-processing systems based on the von Neumann architecture are facing significant challenges in power consumption and latency due to the unprecedented increase in data size and algorithm complexity. A promising solution is to integrate sensors, memory, and control. Here the “state-of-the-art” fusion systems involved in the sensing of visual, olfactory, tactile, visual signals, and control is reviewed. The challenges in high performance and reliability are also discussed.