title: Exploring the potential of brain-inspired computing
creator: Pfeil, Thomas
subject: ddc-530
subject: 530 Physics
description: The gap between brains and computers regarding both their cognitive capability and power efficiency is remarkably huge. Brains process information massively in parallel and its constituents are intrinsically self-organizing, while in digital computers the execution of instructions is deterministic and rather serial. The recent progress in the development of dedicated hardware systems implementing physical models of neurons and synapses enables to efficiently emulate spiking neural networks. In this work, we verify the design and explore the potential for brain-inspired computing of such an analog neuromorphic system, called Spikey. We demonstrate the versatility of this highly configurable substrate by the implementation of a rich repertoire of network models, including models for signal propagation and enhancement, general purpose classifiers, cortical models and decorrelating feedback systems. Network emulations on Spikey are highly accelerated and consume less than 1 nJ per synaptic transmission. The Spikey system, hence, outperforms modern desktop computers in terms of fast and efficient network simulations closing the gap to brains. During this thesis the stability, performance and user-friendliness of the Spikey system was improved integrating it into the neuroscientific tool chain and making it available for the community. The implementation of networks suitable to solve everyday tasks, like object or speech recognition, qualifies this technology to be an alternative to conventional computers. Considering the compactness, computational capability and power efficiency, neuromorphic systems may qualify as a valuable complement to classical computation.
date: 2015
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/18258/1/tpfeil_phd_thesis_2014_v5.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00018258
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-182585
identifier:   Pfeil, Thomas  (2015) Exploring the potential of brain-inspired computing.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/18258/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng