A new concept has been introduced in computer chip design which is writing hardware. The principles of software writing are used in creating new image producing chips!

The development of chips is a time consuming tedious job with many reworks, computations to produce real time video therefore very fast chips are needed to create quality video. However by combining with simple 'nanocomputers' and by making them work together the information can be processed a hundred times faster.

Previously complex chips which were designed by engineers in years are designed over days. By using software the nanocomputers checks its memory bank and may collect designs of different chips and integrate it into one new chip.
"These are not just pie-in-the-sky ideas," said Professor McCanny. "Through our spin-off company, Integrated Silicon Systems in Belfast, we have supplied 200 chip designs around the world, used in things like digital televisions and portable multimedia devices."