The development of inexpensive computers, made possible by the advent of integrated circuits, provides markets with unprecedented opportunities to access and manipulate information economically. The next step is to integrate the sensing or data acquisition into the VLSI signal processing capability. An Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for VLSI Integrated Sensors appears to be one approach to achieve the noted goal. Researchers are studying the feasibility and viability of establishing an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for VLSI Integrated Sensors at the University of California - Berkeley. Alternative organizations, operations, and policies are being studied as are industry's interests and needs in research. The study is also determining if the Center has the potential to become self-sufficient with industrial funding in a 5-year period.
