Tomorrow, participants in a University of Waterloo-hosted workshop will be demonstrating large-scale brain models they have built over the last two weeks, running on laptops, robots, and specialized brain-like computers as they simulate neural functions.
The two-week workshop has taught researchers how to build sophisticated brain models that reproduce behaviours such as hearing, seeing, learning, spatial navigation, and analogical reasoning, using new kinds of biologically-inspired sensors that include an artificial retina and artificial touch-sensitive skin, and brain-like computer processors.
The workshop is focussed on using the Nengo brain simulator to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models. Nengo was developed by Chris Eliasmith's lab at the Waterloo Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, and the software program was recently used to build the world's largest functional brain model - Spaun. Nengo provides its users with a versatile and powerful environment for simulating cognitive and neural systems.
The open house-style event takes place Friday, June 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in HH 373.