PS3 Informer

PS3 Medical Research Inspires Commercial Applications

Sony's recent collaboration with Stanford University's Folding@Home project has inspired them to consider using the PS3 processing power for future commercial applications. A number of reports today have suggested that Sony is already in discussion with some companies exploring the possibilities.

"We are discussing various options with companies and exploring commercial applications for the PS3," said Sony's chief technology officer, Masa Chatani. 82,000 PS3 users signed up for the the Folding@Home project which is fighting in the battle against serious disease. With a network of 10,000 PS3's producing the equivalent processing power of 200,000 PCs, the attractions are obvious for companies that lack the resources. "A start-up or a pharmaceutical company that lacks a super-computer could utilise this kind of infrastructure," continued Chatani.

Building such a super grid would require certain incentives for the PS3 owners to make it commercially viable though, as owners would have to leave their PS3's running constantly. "It's something we could absolutely do in terms of the technology," Karraker said. "It's whether the consumer can be incentivized to let someone else utilize the computer power of their PS3."

Information Week writes, as incentives, Sony is considering discounts on products, such as the PS3 and accessories. Sony would wrap this cost into the overall price it would charge to companies seeking to use the grid.

At this point, Sony is studying the idea -- first trying to determine how many PS3 owners would be willing to participate and at what cost. "It's all in the research phase, right now," Karraker said. "If consumers ultimately say they don't want this, then obviously we won't do it."

Read our original story on the Folding@Home project here.