New IBM Corp. software unveiled today will program silicon chips inspired by the function of the human brain.
The company believes the technology could enable a new generation of sensor networks that mimic the brain”™s abilities for perception, action and cognition. Dharmendra S. Modha, IBM Research principal investigator and senior manager, said the new architecture necessitates a “new programming paradigm.”
“While complementing today”™s computers, this will bring forth a fundamentally new technological capability in terms of programming and applying emerging learning systems,” Modha said.
Modern computer processors are constrained by size and power, according to an IBM press release, and recognize data that are fixed text or digital information. IBM, which houses its corporate headquarters in Armonk, said its long-term goal is to build a chip system that can recognize sub-symbolic data, which is sensory based and whose values change continuously.
The human brain excels at tasks such as recognizing, interpreting and acting upon patterns. It consumes the same amount of power as a 20-watt light bulb and occupies the volume of a 2-liter bottle, according to the press release.
IBM and its collaborators Cornell University and iniLabs Ltd. Have been awarded $12 million in new funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the next phase of the development. The cumulative funding for the first three phases of the project was $53 million.
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