I have robots struggling for me. I have robots being hedonistic for me. I have robots building my robots. I’ve been dead for 10 years, my body cremated and my ashes scattered across the oceans. A robot wrote this comment.
A superposable silicon synapse with programmable reversal potential.
Benjamin BV1, Arthur JV, Gao P, Merolla P, Boahen K.
Author information
Abstract
We present a novel log-domain silicon synapse designed for subthreshold analog operation that emulates common synaptic interactions found in biology. Our circuit models the dynamic gating of ion-channel conductances by emulating the processes of neurotransmitter release-reuptake and receptor binding-unbinding in a superposable fashion: Only a single circuit is required to model the entire population of synapses (of a given type) that a biological neuron receives. Unlike previous designs, which are strictly excitatory or inhibitory, our silicon synapse implements-for the first time in the log-domain-a programmable reversal potential (i.e., driving force). To demonstrate our design’s scalability, we fabricated in 180nm CMOS an array of 64K silicon neurons, each with four independent superposable synapse circuits occupying 11.0×21.5 µm(2) apiece. After verifying that these synapses have the predicted effect on the neurons’ spike rate, we explored a recurrent network where the synapses’ reversal potentials are set near the neurons’ threshold, acting as shunts. These shunting synapses synchronized neuronal spiking more robustly than nonshunting synapses, confirming that reversal potentials can have important network-level implications.
Ida No over 3 years ago
I have robots struggling for me. I have robots being hedonistic for me. I have robots building my robots. I’ve been dead for 10 years, my body cremated and my ashes scattered across the oceans. A robot wrote this comment.
Kaputnik over 3 years ago
If the gods can force you to perform a pointless repetitive task, they can prevent you from building a machine to do it for you.
Brass Orchid Premium Member over 3 years ago
Wind-borne moisture. Rolls back to the sea at night.
PoodleGroomer over 3 years ago
No super magnets for servos or microcontrollers
rstove428 Premium Member over 3 years ago
Yeah! I got all the references! The strip and the comments!
Stephen Gilberg over 3 years ago
Apparently, this kid is brainy enough to think robots are easy to build and program but too dumb to realize they didn’t exist in ancient Greece.
mistercatworks over 3 years ago
Robots don’t go to hell. There are no bad robots, outside of the movies.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 3 years ago
Because he was being punished and Hephaestus wouldn’t get him a robot to use. He was dead and and being punished in Tartarus.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 3 years ago
A superposable silicon synapse with programmable reversal potential.
Benjamin BV1, Arthur JV, Gao P, Merolla P, Boahen K.
Author information
Abstract
We present a novel log-domain silicon synapse designed for subthreshold analog operation that emulates common synaptic interactions found in biology. Our circuit models the dynamic gating of ion-channel conductances by emulating the processes of neurotransmitter release-reuptake and receptor binding-unbinding in a superposable fashion: Only a single circuit is required to model the entire population of synapses (of a given type) that a biological neuron receives. Unlike previous designs, which are strictly excitatory or inhibitory, our silicon synapse implements-for the first time in the log-domain-a programmable reversal potential (i.e., driving force). To demonstrate our design’s scalability, we fabricated in 180nm CMOS an array of 64K silicon neurons, each with four independent superposable synapse circuits occupying 11.0×21.5 µm(2) apiece. After verifying that these synapses have the predicted effect on the neurons’ spike rate, we explored a recurrent network where the synapses’ reversal potentials are set near the neurons’ threshold, acting as shunts. These shunting synapses synchronized neuronal spiking more robustly than nonshunting synapses, confirming that reversal potentials can have important network-level implications.