AccelNet: Accelerating Research on Neuromorphic Perception, Action, and Cognition

人工智能在现代生活中变得无处不在。要在目前的模式下建立系统，需要大量的能量来进行计算和传感。这导致了环境问题、污染和小型系统的挑战，以及隐私问题。神经形态科学和技术领域提供了另一种选择，试图了解生物大脑的原理，并在其基础上使用低功率硬件和软件解决方案建立人工系统。虽然它的优点已经得到证明，但进一步的进展是必要的，需要通用的计算工具和有原则的实验方法。AccelNet的这个项目名为NeuroPacNet，它将神经形态工程的国际专家与来自全球七个网络的计算神经学家、机器人专家、控制理论家和感知研究人员联系起来，为建立能够及时有力地处理现实世界信号并适应变化的系统奠定基础。这个网络网络将促进智能系统设计的新方法和新途径的发展，并为神经形态科学和技术领域的下一代领导者做准备。随着不同行业采用神经形态硬件，社会将获得新的应用，如手机计算、神经假体、智能助听器和具有预测能力的智能传感系统。NeuroPacNet将推进感知、行动和认知一体化建模的计算研究。网络网络将协调这些研究推动力，并开发基于理论神经科学的新方法，用于感觉运动控制、运动学习、基于事件的计算和在尖峰神经网络中的学习。NeuroPacNet还将包括无人机导航和类人人类活动理解领域的机器人研究，并将解决类人机器人的社会和伦理问题。网络网络将使用创新的硬件设计和混合信号计算系统来解决新兴技术和非传统技术的计算问题。国际合作和知识交流将包括为学生和博士后研究人员提供奖学金的身临其境的研究交流计划，在刺激的环境中讨论共同问题和关切并参与实践项目的年度研讨会，确定挑战、机会和加快进展的行动的会议，以及由研究人员和学生团队解决两个挑战的竞争。一个互动的项目网站将成为存档的网络研讨会演讲、工具和数据的门户。加速通过国际网络到网络合作(AccelNet)研究计划旨在加快科学发现的进程，并为多团队国际合作培养下一代美国研究人员。AccelNet计划支持美国研究网络和海外互补网络之间的战略联系，这些网络将利用研究和教育资源来应对需要重大协调国际努力的重大科学挑战。该项目的共同资金由社会、行为和经济科学理事会提供。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Artificial intelligence is becoming ubiquitous in modern life. To build systems under the current paradigm, large amounts of energy are required for computing and sensing. This causes environmental problems, pollution, and challenges for small-sized systems, as well as privacy issues. The field of neuromorphic science and technology offers an alternative by seeking to understand principles of biological brains and build on their basis artificial systems using low-power hardware and software solutions. While its advantages have been demonstrated, further advances are necessary and will require common computational tools and principled experimental approaches. This AccelNet project, NeuroPacNet, links international experts in neuromorphic engineering with computational neuroscientists, roboticists, control theorists, and researchers of perception from seven global networks to set the foundations for building systems that can robustly process real-world signals in time and adapt to changes. This network of networks will facilitate the development of new methods and approaches for intelligent system design and prepare the next generation of leaders in neuromorphic science and technology. As different industries adopt neuromorphic hardware, society will have access to new applications, such as in computing on cell phones, neuroprostheses, intelligent hearing aids, and smart sensory systems with predictive capabilities.NeuroPacNet will advance computational research on modeling the integration of perception, action, and cognition. The network of network will coordinate across those research thrusts and develop new approaches grounded in theoretical neuroscience for sensorimotor control, motor learning, event-based computations, and learning in spiking neural networks. NeuroPacNet will also include robotics research in the areas of drone navigation and human activity understanding for humanoids and will address social and ethical issues in humanoid robotics. The network of networks will use innovative hardware design and mixed signals computational systems to address computation for emerging and unconventional technologies. International collaboration and knowledge exchange will include an immersive research exchange program providing scholarships to students and postdoctoral researchers, an annual workshop to discuss common issues and concerns in a stimulating environment and to engage in hands-on projects, meetings to define challenges, opportunities, and actions to accelerate progress, and competitions with two challenges to be solved by teams of researchers and students. An interactive project website will become a portal for archived webinar talks, tools, and data.The Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) program is designed to accelerate the process of scientific discovery and prepare the next generation of U.S. researchers for multiteam international collaborations. The AccelNet program supports strategic linkages among U.S. research networks and complementary networks abroad that will leverage research and educational resources to tackle grand scientific challenges that require significant coordinated international efforts. Co-funding for this project is provided by the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.