Scientists have developed a new nano memory cell that mimics the human brain at the MicroNano Research Facility at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
In the experiment, the circuit with around 100 artificial synapses was able to perform image classification, a simple version of a typical human task. The scientists also claim that the nano cell is capable of storing and processing strands of information at the same time. The cell created by the scientists is one of the world's first electronic multi-state memory cell which mirrors the brain's ability to simultaneously process and store multiple strands of information.
Hussein Nili, the lead author of the study, noted that the cell is a significant advancement. According to him, in the current scenario, only a single digit can be stored in most electronic memory cells — either a one or zero. "The kind of memory we have designed ... allows you to store in a single memory cell, not just one number, but a large range of numbers," he said in a report by Mashable Australia.
The scientists believe that imitating electronic aspects of the human brain could have implications for research into conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. the cell could help researchers create a bionic brain outside the human body to help fight against neurological disease like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It could be expanded and even built upon to make the cells perform complex human reactions and brain functions. The experiment allowed the scientists to make the cell differentiate between three English alphabets. The cell analysed the letter by their images, each letter stylised in different ways or saturated with 'noise' in a process similar to how we humans pick our friends out from a crowd. Nano-scale memories are precursors to the storage components of the complex artificial intelligence network needed to develop a bionic brain.
'While the circuit was very small compared to practical networks, it is big enough to prove the concept of practicality,' said researchers Farnood Merrikh-Bayat. This circuit could as well be used for medical imaging, the improvement of navigation systems or even for searches based on images rather than on text.
In the experiment, the circuit with around 100 artificial synapses was able to perform image classification, a simple version of a typical human task. The scientists also claim that the nano cell is capable of storing and processing strands of information at the same time. The cell created by the scientists is one of the world's first electronic multi-state memory cell which mirrors the brain's ability to simultaneously process and store multiple strands of information.
Hussein Nili, the lead author of the study, noted that the cell is a significant advancement. According to him, in the current scenario, only a single digit can be stored in most electronic memory cells — either a one or zero. "The kind of memory we have designed ... allows you to store in a single memory cell, not just one number, but a large range of numbers," he said in a report by Mashable Australia.
The scientists believe that imitating electronic aspects of the human brain could have implications for research into conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. the cell could help researchers create a bionic brain outside the human body to help fight against neurological disease like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It could be expanded and even built upon to make the cells perform complex human reactions and brain functions. The experiment allowed the scientists to make the cell differentiate between three English alphabets. The cell analysed the letter by their images, each letter stylised in different ways or saturated with 'noise' in a process similar to how we humans pick our friends out from a crowd. Nano-scale memories are precursors to the storage components of the complex artificial intelligence network needed to develop a bionic brain.
'While the circuit was very small compared to practical networks, it is big enough to prove the concept of practicality,' said researchers Farnood Merrikh-Bayat. This circuit could as well be used for medical imaging, the improvement of navigation systems or even for searches based on images rather than on text.