Random Number Generators are an unsung hero of sorts for a wide range of applications – from research to statistics, cryptography to online casinos. In the age of technology, let’s take a look at some of the RNG innovations that are disrupting the industry and signal future transformation.
QRNG Chip
Traditional RNGs come in two forms – algorithm based or hardware based. Those that use algorithms are known as pseudorandom number generators, in that they are generated by an algorithm but they cannot be predicted unless you can access the key to decode it. These RNGs are used in applications with low stakes such as online casinos, as they can digitally mimic the element of luck you’d get from playing in person. For example, the Paddy Power site offers online slot machines that use RNGs to dictate when the reels stop spinning, what symbols land on the reels, and when bonus games are triggered. This ensures that gameplay is fair, authentic, and immersive.
For other applications, hardware-based RNGs are more appropriate, such as quantum random number generators (QRNGs). QRNGs utilize the multiplicity and unpredictability of quantum mechanics to generate random bits. Whilst QRNGs have traditionally been large, harware-based operations, Quantum eMotion has managed to create a compact QRNG in the form of a chip. This minimizes the components into less than 1cm², which has the potential to revolutionize the application of QRNGs in security applications, across all kinds of devices.
Portable Device
Whilst the Quantum eMotion uses a System-in-Package solution and Digital Signal Processing, amongst other innovations, traditional QRNGs typically use a light source to emit photons through a layer of material. Using the logic of quantum physics, the photons are both reflected and refracted by the material, at some point being picked up by detectors at the back of the machine. Their positioning at the end is what generates the random bits, which is why these random numbers are so unpredictable.
However, the Chilean-Polish startup SeQure Quantum has created a QRNG device that still uses photons to generate random bits, but in a portable package. This device is able to generate random numbers and cryptographic keys with a high level of invulnerability and unpredictability. It also features online authentication and real-time cyberattack detection for an extra layer of security. The portable device is already being leveraged in the defense and gaming sectors.
Renewable RNGs
In today’s climate, there is a renewed push towards energy efficiency – and the RNG sector is no different. Whilst classic QRNGs use light as the source of entropy, scientists have trialed using wind instead, thanks to this being clean and unexhausted. Of course, the wind is unpredictable, so the harvested wind can have the same unpredictability for applications like cryptography.
The wind-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (W-TENG) is still in its infancy, though an initial paper has been published on Nature.com. The inherent turbulent nature of wind makes it a natural source of randomness, however the key development is to ensure that the velocity is at a level that is required for stable energy harvesting. Despite its current drawbacks, this innovation could spell a huge transformation for RNGs of the future.
And there you have it – just a few RNG innovations that are transforming the way that these devices are used, operated, and made. Looking forward to the future, these innovations look to be making RNGs more accessible, functional, and sustainable.
