Tech
New Microchips Mimic Brain's Information Processing in Real Time
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jul 23, 2013 09:10 AM EDT
Could computer chips mimic the human brain? Apparently they can. Scientists have unveiled new microchips that can imitate the brain's information processing in real time. The chips could potentially be used in the future to create complex cognitive systems that interact with their surroundings in real time. .
The human brain is a veritable biological supercomputer. It processes information more efficiently than any computer can. That's probably why building an artificial brain has become the goal of many researchers, driving the search for a computer chip that can compete. Called neuroinformatics, this branch of study attempts to mimic biology with technology. Now, it seems like researchers are on the right path.
The new chips are called neuromorphic chips. In order to demonstrate their capabilities, the scientists built an artificial sensory processing system that exhibited cognitive abilities. Although most approaches to neuroinformatics are limited to the development of neural network models on conventional computers, the researchers decided to develop actual electronic circuits that are comparable to a real brain in terms of size, speed and energy consumption.
"Our goal is to emulate the properties of biological neurons and synapses directly on microchips," said Giacomo Indiveri of the University of Zurich in a news release. "The network connectivity patterns closely resemble structures that are also found in mammalian brains."
The findings show how a real-time hardware neural-processing system where the user dictates the behavior can be constructed. In addition, it has enormous implications for the future.
"Thanks to our method, neuromorphic chips can be configured for a large class of behavior modes," said Indiveri. "Our results are pivotal for the development of new brain-inspired technologies."
The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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First Posted: Jul 23, 2013 09:10 AM EDT
Could computer chips mimic the human brain? Apparently they can. Scientists have unveiled new microchips that can imitate the brain's information processing in real time. The chips could potentially be used in the future to create complex cognitive systems that interact with their surroundings in real time. .
The human brain is a veritable biological supercomputer. It processes information more efficiently than any computer can. That's probably why building an artificial brain has become the goal of many researchers, driving the search for a computer chip that can compete. Called neuroinformatics, this branch of study attempts to mimic biology with technology. Now, it seems like researchers are on the right path.
The new chips are called neuromorphic chips. In order to demonstrate their capabilities, the scientists built an artificial sensory processing system that exhibited cognitive abilities. Although most approaches to neuroinformatics are limited to the development of neural network models on conventional computers, the researchers decided to develop actual electronic circuits that are comparable to a real brain in terms of size, speed and energy consumption.
"Our goal is to emulate the properties of biological neurons and synapses directly on microchips," said Giacomo Indiveri of the University of Zurich in a news release. "The network connectivity patterns closely resemble structures that are also found in mammalian brains."
The findings show how a real-time hardware neural-processing system where the user dictates the behavior can be constructed. In addition, it has enormous implications for the future.
"Thanks to our method, neuromorphic chips can be configured for a large class of behavior modes," said Indiveri. "Our results are pivotal for the development of new brain-inspired technologies."
The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone