Project description
Technology with robust and responsive cognitive behaviour inspired by crickets
Separation of tasks is sometimes efficient – and sometimes not. Energy efficiency has become a key challenge in complex computing tasks. The separation of logic and memory in current electronic systems leads to inefficiency. Neuroscience has recently inspired powerful AI algorithms to enable effective real-time decision making based on a limited volume of noisy sensory data, something crickets due extremely well. The ERC-funded DIVERSE project will integrate principles from the cricket nervous system and resistive random-access memories (memristors) in an innovative hardware/software platform. With extremely high power efficiency and robust cognitive computing capabilities, the new technology will have applications in robotics, implantable medical devices and wearable electronics.
Objective
The artificial intelligence community, inspired by the tremendous progress made in neuroscience, has recently proposed powerful algorithms to enable effective real-time decision making based on a limited volume of noisy sensory data. However, implementing such algorithms in low-power devices remains a challenge due to the energy inefficiency that comes from separating logic and memory in current electronic systems. For the past 10 years, research groups have been developing alternative electronic components and systems, such as brain inspired computing architectures and novel resistive memory technologies to address this design bottleneck. The critical feature for these new technologies to perform at their best is a very high-density, reliable, non-volatile memory with infinite endurance. This ideal memory does not exist today, and it is unlikely it will ever exist. This project takes inspiration from the insect’s nervous system. The general aim of DIVERSE is to enable learning from a very limited volume of noisy data based on imperfect, limited density, low endurance, resistive memories. Unlike digital systems, insects are not very good at performing precise calculations, but they excel at making extremely energy-efficient real time decisions by combining sensory data recorded in noisy environments. I thus propose to take inspiration from the well-studied cricket’s nervous system and to use my experience and skills in resistive memories to develop a new technology that expresses robust cognitive behaviour while interacting with the environment. This cross-disciplinary work will lead to the fabrication of an innovative hardware/software platform with extremely high power efficiency and robust cognitive computing capabilities. This new technology will open new perspectives in dynamically developing areas including service and consumer robotics, implantable medical diagnostic microchips and wearable electronics.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineering
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologycognitive neuroscience
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputational intelligence
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
75015 PARIS 15
France