Neuromorphic computing: Difference between revisions

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Neuromorphic engineering is for now set apart by the inspiration it takes from what we know about the structure and operations of the [[brain]]. Neuromorphic engineering translates what we know about the brain's function into computer systems. Work has mostly focused on replicating the analog nature of [[biological computation]] and the role of [[neuron]]s in [[cognition]].
 
The biological processes of neurons and their [[synapse]]s are dauntingly complex, and thus very difficult to artificially simulate. A key feature of biological brains is that all of the processing in neurons uses analog [[Cell signalling|chemical signals]]. This makes it hard to replicate brains in computers because the current generation of computers is completely digital. However, the characteristics of these parts chemical signals can be abstracted into mathematical functions that closely capture the essence of the neuron's operations.
 
The goal of neuromorphic computing is not to perfectly mimic the brain and all of its functions, but instead to extract what is known of its structure and operations to be used in a practical computing system. No neuromorphic system will claim nor attempt to reproduce every element of neurons and synapses, but all adhere to the idea that computation is highly [[distributed processing|distributed]] throughout a series of small computing elements analogous to a neuron. While this sentiment is standard, researchers chase this goal with different methods.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1088/1741-2560/13/5/051001| title = Large-scale neuromorphic computing systems| journal = Journal of Neural Engineering| volume = 13| pages = 1–15| year = 2016| last1 = Furber | first1 = Steve| issue = 5| pmid = 27529195| bibcode = 2016JNEng..13e1001F| doi-access = free}}</ref>
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===Neuromorphic sensors===
The concept of neuromorphic systems can be extended to [[Sensor|sensors]] (not just to computation). An example of this applied to detecting [[light]] is the [[retinomorphic sensor]] or, when employed in an array, the [[event camera]]. An event camera's pixels all register changes in brightness levels individually, which makes these cameras comparable to human eyesight in their theoretical power consumption.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Skorka |first=Orit |date=2011-07-01 |title=Toward a digital camera to rival the human eye |url=http://electronicimaging.spiedigitallibrary.org/article.aspx?doi=10.1117/1.3611015 |journal=Journal of Electronic Imaging |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=033009–033009–18 |doi=10.1117/1.3611015 |bibcode=2011JEI....20c3009S |issn=1017-9909}}</ref> In 2022, researchers from the [[Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research]] reported an organic artificial spiking neuron that exhibits the signal diversity of biological neurons while operating in the biological wetware, thus enabling ''in-situ'' neuromorphic sensing and biointerfacing applications.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sarkar |first1=Tanmoy |last2=Lieberth |first2=Katharina |last3=Pavlou |first3=Aristea |last4=Frank |first4=Thomas |last5=Mailaender |first5=Volker |last6=McCulloch |first6=Iain |last7=Blom |first7=Paul W. M. |last8=Torriccelli |first8=Fabrizio |last9=Gkoupidenis |first9=Paschalis |title=An organic artificial spiking neuron for in situ neuromorphic sensing and biointerfacing |journal=Nature Electronics |date=7 November 2022 |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=774–783 |doi=10.1038/s41928-022-00859-y |s2cid=253413801 |language=en |issn=2520-1131|doi-access=free |hdl=10754/686016 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Artificial neurons emulate biological counterparts to enable synergetic operation |journal=Nature Electronics |date=10 November 2022 |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=721–722 |doi=10.1038/s41928-022-00862-3 |s2cid=253469402 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-022-00862-3 |language=en |issn=2520-1131}}</ref>
 
=== Military applications ===