Neuromorphic
Encyclopedia
Neuromorphic engineering or neuromorphic computing is a concept developed by Carver Mead
, in the late 1980s, describing the use of very-large-scale integration
(VLSI) systems containing electronic analog circuits to mimic neuro-biological architectures present in the nervous system. In recent times the term neuromorphic has been used to describe analog, digital, and mixed-mode analog/digital VLSI and software systems that implement models of neural systems (for perception
, motor control
, or sensory processing).
A key aspect of neuromorphic engineering is understanding how the morphology of individual neurons, circuits, and overall architectures create desirable computations, affect how information is represented, influences robustness to damage, incorporates learning and development, and facilitates evolutionary change.
Neuromorphic engineering is a new interdisciplinary discipline that takes inspiration from biology
, physics
, mathematics
, computer science
and engineering
to design artificial neural systems, such as vision system
s, head-eye systems, auditory processors, and autonomous robots, whose physical architecture and design principles are based on those of biological nervous systems.
An example of neuromorphic computer hardware is the Neurogrid
board built by the Brains in Silicon group at Stanford University
.
Carver Mead
Carver Andress Mead is a US computer scientist. He currently holds the position of Gordon and Betty Moore Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology , having taught there for over 40 years.Mead studied electrical engineering at Caltech, getting...
, in the late 1980s, describing the use of very-large-scale integration
Very-large-scale integration
Very-large-scale integration is the process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when complex semiconductor and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device.The first semiconductor...
(VLSI) systems containing electronic analog circuits to mimic neuro-biological architectures present in the nervous system. In recent times the term neuromorphic has been used to describe analog, digital, and mixed-mode analog/digital VLSI and software systems that implement models of neural systems (for perception
Perception
Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
, motor control
Motor control
Motor control are information processing related activities carried out by the central nervous system that organize the musculoskeletal system to create coordinated movements and skilled actions...
, or sensory processing).
A key aspect of neuromorphic engineering is understanding how the morphology of individual neurons, circuits, and overall architectures create desirable computations, affect how information is represented, influences robustness to damage, incorporates learning and development, and facilitates evolutionary change.
Neuromorphic engineering is a new interdisciplinary discipline that takes inspiration from biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
to design artificial neural systems, such as vision system
Vision system
Vision system may refer to:* Visual system * artificial Vision Systems .*Computer vision...
s, head-eye systems, auditory processors, and autonomous robots, whose physical architecture and design principles are based on those of biological nervous systems.
An example of neuromorphic computer hardware is the Neurogrid
Neurogrid
Neurogrid is a piece of computer hardware that is designed specifically for simulation of biological brains. It uses analog computation to emulate ion channel activity, and digital communication to softwire structured connectivity patterns. Neurogrid simulates one million neurons and six billion...
board built by the Brains in Silicon group at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
See also
- Analog computerAnalog computerAn analog computer is a form of computer that uses the continuously-changeable aspects of physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved...
- Biomorphic
- Physical neural networkPhysical neural networkA physical neural network is a type of artificial neural network in which an electrically adjustable resistance material is used to emulate the function of a neural synapse. "Physical" neural network is used to emphasize the reliance on physical hardware used to emulate neurons as opposed to...
- Optical flow sensorOptical flow sensorAn optical flow sensor is a vision sensor capable of measuring optical flow or visual motion and outputting a measurement based on optical flow. Various configurations of optical flow sensors exist. One configuration is an image sensor chip connected to a processor programmed to run an optical flow...
- Vision chipVision chipA vision chip is an integrated circuit having both image sensing circuitry and image processing circuitry on the same die. The image sensing circuitry may be implemented using charge-coupled devices, active pixel sensor circuits, or any other light sensing mechanism. The image processing circuitry...
- Computation and Neural Systems
External links
- Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop
- Institute of Neuromorphic Engineering
- INE news site.
- Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering at the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. - Computation and Neural Systems department at the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.