IBM SyNAPSE project has claimed the development of a key building block of a modular neuromorphic architecture: a neurosynaptic core.

Left: Neurosynaptic core. Right: test board that interfaces with the chip via a USB 2.0 link. (Credit: J. V. Arthur et al./International Joint Conference on Neural Networks)

Neurosynaptic core measures 2mmx3mm, consisting of axons (rows), dendrites (columns), synapses (row–column junctions), and neurons that receive inputs from dendrites.

The technology aims at mimicking to functioning of the mammalian brain, as reported in this paper.

This brain-like architecture is expected to be capable of a wide array of real-time applications, with ultra-low power consumption. First testing applications of this neurosynaptic core has been: a robot driving in a virtual environment, the classic game of pong, visual digit recognition, and an auto-associative memory.

One of the main obstacles to the widespread utility of these kinds of chips is the lack of a consistent software-hardware neural programming model, but progresses in this avenue are expected soon.

A milestone towards real Cognitive Computing ?