The research is part of a project to find ways to develop a new range of electronic equipment that will consume 100 times less energy, while cutting design and production costs.

In order to do this, about 50 researchers from NTU and Rice University in the United States are trying to develop strategies that run counter to conventional engineering principles, where perfection is meant to be the norm.

NTU has committed $4 million to the project, which is led by professor of computer science Krishna Palem at Rice University.

One possible application is in mobile gadgets. 'We don't need such precise calculation in a streaming video application in a cellphone,' Professor Palem told The Straits Times.

'The small screen, combined with our brain's ability to process less-than-perfect pictures, means the picture looks good enough to us, with approximate calculations. The payoff is that the user will have to charge the phone only every few weeks.'

All the research for the joint project will be carried out on the NTU campus by the newly established Institute for Sustainable Nanotechnology and Electronics.

A key member of the team, NTU's Associate Professor Yeo Kiat Seng, said the integrated circuit chips being designed will be useful to those in industry.

Said the head of circuits and systems at NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: 'Transistors are now so small they have reached their physical limitations, with power consumption, heat dissipation and static current leakage becoming major challenges.'

Perfection, the two professors said, can be reserved for computations in industries like banking.

Those in industry in Singapore believe that the new strategy could have advantages, depending on what the consumer needs.

'Some systems can tolerate 'noise', like things for general use, but some applications require perfection,' noted engineer S. Shashiraj, who develops Bluetooth headsets used with cellphones.

'An audiophile listening to music won't want it, but if it's just speech, it's acceptable. Perhaps software might be developed to clean up the data received from this hardware,' he said.

Prof Yeo believes that, after some initial hesitation, the industry will be excited with the new chip when it comes on the market in two years.

'The industry is always looking for cost and power savings,' he said.

skesava@sph.com.sg