CTN Seminar: Jeff Orchard - Cognition using Spiking-Phasor Neurons

April 25 14:30 *In Person*

Speaker: Jeff Orchard (CS, Waterloo)

Title: Cognition using Spiking-Phasor Neurons

Abstract: Vector Symbolic Architectures (VSAs) are a powerful framework for representing compositional reasoning and lend themselves to neural-network implementations. This allows us to create neural networks that can perform cognitive functions, like spatial reasoning, arithmetic, reasoning over sequences, symbol binding, and logic. But the vectors involved can be quite large -- hence the alternative label “Hyperdimensional (HD) computing”. Advances in neuromorphic hardware hold the promise of reducing the running time and energy footprint of neural networks by orders of magnitude. In this talk, I will extend some pioneering work, and run VSA algorithms on a substrate of spiking neurons that could be run efficiently on neuromorphic hardware.