Researchers unveil electronics that mimic the human brain in efficient learning

[GenesisNemesis]

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-unveil-ele...brain.html

Only 10 years ago, scientists working on what they hoped would open a new frontier of neuromorphic computing could only dream of a device using miniature tools called memristors that would function/operate like real brain synapses.

But now a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has discovered, while on their way to better understanding protein nanowires, how to use these biological, electricity conducting filaments to make a neuromorphic memristor, or "memory transistor," device. It runs extremely efficiently on very low power, as brains do, to carry signals between neurons. Details are in Nature Communications.

As first author Tianda Fu, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical and computer engineering, explains, one of the biggest hurdles to neuromorphic computing, and one that made it seem unreachable, is that most conventional computers operate at over 1 volt, while the brain sends signals called action potentials between neurons at around 80 millivolts—many times lower. Today, a decade after early experiments, memristor voltage has been achieved in the range similar to conventional computer, but getting below that seemed improbable, he adds.

[Mathilda]

Finally! Energy efficiency!

[Deesse23]

Coll stuff, i just read (some of) the article, but i missed one important part about which i learned some 20y ago when i was in the medical technology business. That is: Offset or bias respectively when connecting electronics with biological nerves. The biggest challenge was (and probably still is, its a matter of how nerves work): If you have a offset voltage over time, even the tiniest one, then you have a current flowing into/out of the nerve. In the long term this damages the nerve beyond repair.

Accordingly, once you apply an electrical potential over time to stimulate a, lets say muscle, you will also have a current flowing into the nerve. In order to not damage the nerve permantenly you need to remove the el. charge (current x time) from the nerve again, before you can stimulate again. Its like filling up bucket with a bit of water. You have to remove all the water again until you can pour water in again. If you dont, the bucket gets damaged.

So while memristors will work well within electronic circuits and will give fantastic new options (particularly with those low voltage/low power specifications), it will be difficult to interconnect them with biological nerves permanently.

Was this understandable or too much mumbo jumbo?