Chinese researchers have developed a groundbreaking flexible AI chip capable of enduring 40,000 bending cycles without performance loss, according to a study published in Nature on January 29, 2026. The innovation, named FLEXI, marks a leap forward in wearable technology and medical diagnostics.
Designed to conform to curved surfaces like the human body, the 25-micrometer-thick chip demonstrated 99.2% accuracy in detecting cardiac arrhythmias during trials. Its compute-in-memory architecture reduces energy consumption to 55.94 microwatts – a critical feature for continuous health monitoring applications.
"This addresses two key limitations of current flexible electronics: durability and computational power," stated lead researcher Dr. Li Wei in the study. The team at Tsinghua University confirmed the chip maintained stability through six months of rigorous testing, suggesting potential uses in brain-computer interfaces and next-generation foldable devices.
While current prototypes have limited 1 kilobit capacity, the technology could reshape Asia's wearable tech market, projected to reach $72 billion by 2028. Analysts note growing interest from medical device manufacturers and AI startups across the region.
