Project description
Secure, energy-efficient neuromorphic accelerators based on augmented silicon photonics
Neuromorphic computing is a brain-inspired approach for processing large amounts of data with high energy efficiency, low latency and high bandwidth. Neuromorphic systems are particularly attractive for edge computing applications thanks to their high performance and lightweight features. However, strong and energy-efficient security layers are mandatory for such systems, especially for safety-critical applications, as they are very easily compromised at the edge. The EU-funded NEUROPULS project aims to build low-power, secure edge computing systems by developing novel photonic computing architectures and security layers based on photonic physical unclonable functions in augmented silicon photonics platforms compatible with CMOS technology. By developing novel technological, hardware and simulation platforms, NEUROPULS aims to create next-generation neuromorphic accelerators featuring RISC-V compliant interfaces for easier system compatibility.
Objective
The growing need to transfer massive amounts of data among multitudes of interconnected devices for e.g. self-driving vehicles, IoT or industry 4.0 has led to a quest towards low-power and secure approaches to locally processing data. Neuromorphic computing, a brain-inspired approach, addresses this need by radically changing the processing of information. Although neuromorphic electrical computing systems offer advantages in terms of CMOS implementations and scalability, they inherit limitations of conventional electronics such as low energy-efficiency, high latency and low bandwidth density. Besides, such systems often require robust security layers for e.g. safety-critical applications. Security layers based on memory-stored secret keys are prone to several types of memory-accessing attacks. Therefore, silicon hardware approaches for security primitives such as physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are currently investigated because of their absence of long-term digital memory storage. Although electronic PUFs have received major attention thanks to their native CMOS implementation, for secure authentication they are prone to machine learning and side-channel attacks due to their CMOS technology.
The NEUROPULS project aims to build next-generation low-power and secure edge-computing systems by developing novel photonic computing architectures and security layers based on photonic PUFs in augmented silicon photonics CMOS-compatible platforms. The integration of emerging non-volatile phase change materials for synapses/neurons and III-V materials for on-chip spiking sources, for the first time, will allow to build novel neuromorphic accelerators featuring RISC-V compliant interfaces for smooth adoption and programmability. Optimal performance will be achieved thanks to a novel full-system simulation platform for design space exploration. Three relevant use-cases will be considered for benchmarking to demonstrate 2 orders of magnitude energy efficiency improvement.
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: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computer security cryptography
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computational science multiphysics
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nanophotonics
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications simulation software
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.2.4 - Digital, Industry and Space
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.4.2 - Key Digital Technologies
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Topic(s)
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.
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.
Funding Scheme
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.
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-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2021-DIGITAL-EMERGING-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.