Project description
Research explores how physics could do the heavy lifting in neural networks
The growing energy consumption of computing technologies has become an environmental concern, despite advancements in semiconductor technology. Current computing architectures remain energy-inefficient, primarily designed for specific tasks, and are vulnerable to noise, heat and variability. The ERC-funded THERMODON project embraces the concept of 'Let the physics do the computing' by utilising noise, heat and variabilities for energy-efficient computing. The research involves integrating thermodynamics with neuromorphic computing to develop an innovative architecture capable of thermodynamic computing and self-organisation. By applying thermodynamic principles to oscillatory neural networks, researchers will develop a novel computing paradigm that transforms the computing architecture into a dynamic, self-organising system that openly interacts with the environment.
Objective
There is a pressing need to address the power consumption of computing, which keeps rising to the point it has become an environmental concern. Despite the remarkable progress in semiconductor technology, computing architectures are still energy inefficient, engineered for deterministic tasks as well as susceptible to noise, heat, and variations. Instead of massively over-designing architectures to compute with an acceptable degree of reliability, this research aims to “let physics do the computing” and harness noise, heat and variabilities for energy efficient computing.
At the heart of the proposed paradigm is the thermodynamics of open systems entwined with neuromorphic computing. THERMODON aims to develop an unconventional neuromorphic architecture to thermodynamically compute and self-organize (“learn”). I hypothesize that the natural thermodynamics of appropriately engineered architecture can harness noise, heat, and variations to self-organize toward energy efficient “solutions” to “problems” posed by external potentials. I will develop such architecture with neuromorphic oscillatory neural networks that I master in my lab. This research aims to address how thermodynamic principles can be applied to oscillatory neural networks to derive learning rules that are unsupervised, continuously adapting and transforming the architecture into a dynamic “self-organizing” and “open interactive” system that learns, infers and interacts with the environment.
THERMODON will bring breakthrough innovations in thermodynamic computing models and AI-specialized hardware to enable online training and inference to intelligent systems. The interdisciplinary research in this project between neuromorphic computing and thermodynamics opens a new and exciting area in computer architecture, triggering a paradigm shift in edge AI computing as well as an immediate impact as a hardware accelerator platform.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences thermodynamics
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics semiconductivity
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
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5612 AE Eindhoven
Netherlands
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