Artificial Brain
I found a blog that has some more information about the DARPA SYNAPSE project. The SYNAPSE project seeks to create a neuromorphic artificial brain. That blog also has a bunch of older posts that specifically relate to this project. Will this project actually lead to anything? I suppose it's always possible, but I guess I'm fairly skeptical that it will accomplish much.SyNAPSE is a complex, multi-faceted project, but traces its roots to two fundamental problems. First, traditional algorithms perform poorly in the complex, real-world environments that biological agents thrive. Biological computation, in contrast, is highly distributed and deeply data-intensive. Second, traditional microprocessors are extremely inefficient at executing highly distributed, data-intensive algorithms. SyNAPSE seeks both to advance the state-of-the-art in biological algorithms and to develop a new generation of nanotechnology necessary for the efficient implementation of those algorithms.Another blog also has some information that pertains to neuromorphic electronics.
“Neuromorphic engineering takes inspiration from the signal processing structures found in the brain and physical attributes of animals to design new computers and robots capable of the amazing sensorimotor feats seen in nature. From neurons to behavior, the low-power, robust, real-time, and adaptive nature of biological systems serves as a proof-of-concept of the unique implementation developed by evolution. These principles have been applied to software models of sensory processing, VLSI implementations of neural circuits, and robot design.”Also I found this interesting paper called "Framework and implications of virtual neurorobotics" (PDF) that discusses about using virtual reality environments to further the development of neuromorphic electronics.
More recently, investigators are focusing on the core assumptions of the brain “algorithm” itself—trying to replicate uniquely “neuromorphic” dynamics such as action potential spiking and synaptic learning. Only now are large-scale neuromorphic models becoming feasible, due to the availability of powerful supercomputers and an expanding supply of parameters derived from research into the brain’s interdependent electrophysiological, metabolomic and genomic networks. Personal computer technology has also led to the acceptance of computer-generated humanoid images, or “avatars”, to represent intelligent actors in virtual realities. In a recent paper, we proposed a method of virtual neurorobotics (VNR) in which the approaches above (social-emotional robotics, neuromorphic brain architectures, and virtual reality projection) are hybridized to rapidly forward-engineer and develop increasingly complex, intrinsically intelligent systems. In this paper, we synthesize our research and related work in the fi eld and provide a framework for VNR, with wider implications for research and practical applications.I don't see much discussion about the ethics of doing this type of research. I'm not sure if they are attempting to make artificial brains that are conscious or not. Bringing about a conscious AI could have a variety of ethical implications. Most likely, though, progress in this field will be fairly slow. I wouldn't expect much to happen for quite some time, if at all.
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发表者的废话：
又是DARPA这个组织，前几天发布的机器人内容也是DARPA组织的，看起来美国国防部在这个领域里前进了很多了。如果DARPA有网站，呵呵，一定能从中搞到很多有用的信息吧
