Newly Invented Computer Chip Works like Brain
According to Washington Times report, the pentagon researchers have created a human brain like chip, which will power unmanned aircraft or robotic ground systems.
This quantum leap technology used in the chip is built with 5 billion transistors and more than 250 million "synapses" that mimic the connections between neurons in the brain. In addition, mimicking the brain's processing by themselves, individual chips can be connected together like tiles. This is similar to the circuits, which are linked in the human brain. The technology only requires a fraction of electricity needed by other chips.
Dharmendra S. Modha, manager and lead researcher of the Cognitive Computing group at IBM Almaden Research Center, says, "This new chip will provide a powerful tool to researchers who are studying algorithms that use spiking neurons".
The result of the Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) program, could allow unmanned aircraft or robotic ground with limited power budgets to distinguish threats more accurately and take burdens off system operators.
It's important to note, though, that the SyNAPSE system will not replace the computers of today, they're intended to supplement them. Dr. Modha likened them to co-processors used in high performance computers, which will help to crush the data at a faster rate.
Since current batteries often come in complicated packages, this new chip will allow military personnel to carry lighter computer equipment on deployments.
Gill Pratt, DARPA program manager, mentions that that their aim behind the invention of this computer chip is to achieve the highest performance at the lowest cost.
