ENGINEERINGNET.BE – Computers, data centers and other electronics use enormous amounts of energy. Huge wind farms are needed to meet that energy demand. But according to Prof. Dr. Christian Nijhuis, we can also focus our attention on making electronics more efficient.
“Our brains are the most efficient computers we know of. They use ten thousand times less energy than the most efficient computers,” says Nijhuis.
This is because our brains process data in a very different way. Where computers process binary information streams – with zeros and ones – our brains work analogously by means of time-dependent pulses.
“Our brains process information from millions of nerve cells from all our senses. In contrast to traditional electronics, they only use the brain cells and synapses through which pulses pass,” says Nijhuis.
Because energy is only consumed during a pulse, our brains can process a lot of data at the same time much more efficiently.
The molecules developed by Nijhuis and his team can perform all the Boolean logic gates required for deep learning. Researchers are making great strides in the field of software for AI, but these molecules are now also bringing the hardware for AI closer.
To mimic the dynamic behavior of the synapses at the molecular level, the researchers combined fast electron transfer with slow proton coupling limited by diffusion. This resembles the rapid pulses and slow uptake of neurotransmitters from the neurons in your brain.
The molecules can adjust the strength and duration of the pulses. In doing so, they demonstrate a form of classical conditioning. The molecules adapt their behavior to the stimuli they have previously received. In the future, such molecules may also respond to other stimuli, such as light.
This breakthrough makes it possible to develop a new range of adaptable and reconfigurable systems. These in turn can lead to new multifunctional adaptive systems that simplify artificial neural networks.
Nijhuis: “This drastically reduces the energy consumption of electronics.” Multifunctional molecules that are also light-sensitive or can detect other molecules can lead to new types of neural networks or sensors.
This research was conducted in collaboration with the Science Foundation Ireland Research Center for Pharmaceuticals at the University of Limerick and the University of Central Florida.