A Practical Investigation into Achieving Bio-Plausibility in Evo-Devo Neural Microcircuits Feasible in an FPGA

Many researchers has conjectured, argued, or in some cases demonstrated, that bio-plausibility can bring about emergent properties such as adaptability, scalability, fault-tolerance, self-repair, reliability, and autonomy to bio-inspired intelligent systems. Evolutionary-developmental (evo-devo) spiking neural networks are a very bio-plausible mixture of such bio-inspired intelligent systems that have been proposed and studied by a few researchers. However, the general trend is that the complexity and thus the computational cost grow with the bio-plausibility of the system. FPGAs (Field- Programmable Gate Arrays) have been used and proved to be one of the flexible and cost efficient hardware platforms for research' and development of such evo-devo systems. However, mapping a bio-plausible evo-devo spiking neural network to an FPGA is a daunting task full of different constraints and trade-offs that makes it, if not infeasible, very challenging. This thesis explores the challenges, trade-offs, constraints, practical issues, and some possible approaches in achieving bio-plausibility in creating evolutionary developmental spiking neural microcircuits in an FPGA through a practical investigation along with a series of case studies. In this study, the system performance, cost, reliability, scalability, availability, and design and testing time and complexity are defined as measures for feasibility of a system and structural accuracy and consistency with the current knowledge in biology as measures for bio-plausibility. Investigation of the challenges starts with the hardware platform selection and then neuron, cortex, and evo-devo models and integration of these models into a whole bio-inspired intelligent system are examined one by one. For further practical investigation, a new PLAQIF Digital Neuron model, a novel Cortex model, and a new multicellular LGRN evo-devo model are designed, implemented and tested as case studies. Results and their implications for the researchers, designers of such systems, and FPGA manufacturers are discussed and concluded in form of general trends, trade-offs, suggestions, and recommendations

A gene regulatory network model for control

The activity of a biological cell is regulated by interactions between genes and proteins. In artificial intelligence, this has led to the creation of developmental gene regulatory network (GRN) models which aim to exploit these mechanisms to algorithmically build complex designs. The emerging field of GRNs for control aims to instead exploit these natural mechanisms and this ability to encode a large variety of behaviours within a single evolvable genetic program for the solution of control problems. This work aims to extend the application domain of GRN models to previously unsolved control problems; the focus will here be on reinforcement learning problems, in which the dynamics of the system controlled are kept from the controller and only sparse feedback is given to it. This category of problems closely matches the challenges faced by natural evolution in generating biological GRNs. Starting with an existing GRN model, the fractal GRN (FGRN) model, a successful application to a standard control problem will be presented, followed by multiple improvements to the FGRN model and its associated genetic algorithm, resulting in better performances in terms of both reliability and speed. Limitations will be identified in the FGRN model, leading to the introduction of the Input-Merge- Regulate-Output (IMRO) architecture for GRN models, an implementation of which will show both quantitative and qualitative improvements over the FGRN model, solving harder control problems. The resulting model also displays useful features which should facilitate further extension and real-world use of the system

Network resilience

Many systems on our planet are known to shift abruptly and irreversibly from one state to another when they are forced across a "tipping point," such as mass extinctions in ecological networks, cascading failures in infrastructure systems, and social convention changes in human and animal networks. Such a regime shift demonstrates a system's resilience that characterizes the ability of a system to adjust its activity to retain its basic functionality in the face of internal disturbances or external environmental changes. In the past 50 years, attention was almost exclusively given to low dimensional systems and calibration of their resilience functions and indicators of early warning signals without considerations for the interactions between the components. Only in recent years, taking advantages of the network theory and lavish real data sets, network scientists have directed their interest to the real-world complex networked multidimensional systems and their resilience function and early warning indicators. This report is devoted to a comprehensive review of resilience function and regime shift of complex systems in different domains, such as ecology, biology, social systems and infrastructure. We cover the related research about empirical observations, experimental studies, mathematical modeling, and theoretical analysis. We also discuss some ambiguous definitions, such as robustness, resilience, and stability.Comment: Review chapter

Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia

"Techniques and Technologies: Transfer and Transformation", proceedings of the 2007 AASA Conference held September 27-29, 2007, at the School of Architecture, UTS

Anti-fragile ICT Systems

This book introduces a novel approach to the design and operation of large ICT systems. It views the technical solutions and their stakeholders as complex adaptive systems and argues that traditional risk analyses cannot predict all future incidents with major impacts. To avoid unacceptable events, it is necessary to establish and operate anti-fragile ICT systems that limit the impact of all incidents, and which learn from small-impact incidents how to function increasingly well in changing environments. The book applies four design principles and one operational principle to achieve anti-fragility for different classes of incidents. It discusses how systems can achieve high availability, prevent malware epidemics, and detect anomalies. Analyses of Netflix’s media streaming solution, Norwegian telecom infrastructures, e-government platforms, and Numenta’s anomaly detection software show that cloud computing is essential to achieving anti-fragility for classes of events with negative impacts

IRGC Resource Guide on Resilience (Volume 2)

Volume 2 of the IRGC Resource Guide on Resilience provides an in-depth and pragmatic evaluation of concepts and methods for resilience-based approaches in contrast to risk-based approaches, as proposed and practised in different domains of science and practice. Adequate articulation of risk and resilience is key to ensure security in systems. The guide also considers possible drawbacks of resilience, such as if efforts to improve resilience diverts attention from core functions of risk management, or from the need to discourage inappropriate risk-seeking behaviour. Some of the papers in Volume 2 also discuss the relevance and role of resilience as a strategy to address the challenges posed by systemic risks that develop in complex adaptive systems (CAS). Such systems are interconnected, with the result that risks can cascade within and between systems. Resilience can help navigate dynamic changes in CAS, as those evolve in response to internal and external shocks and stresses

Proceedings of the Third International Mobile Satellite Conference (IMSC 1993)

Satellite-based mobile communications systems provide voice and data communications to users over a vast geographic area. The users may communicate via mobile or hand-held terminals, which may also provide access to terrestrial cellular communications services. While the first and second International Mobile Satellite Conferences (IMSC) mostly concentrated on technical advances, this Third IMSC also focuses on the increasing worldwide commercial activities in Mobile Satellite Services. Because of the large service areas provided by such systems, it is important to consider political and regulatory issues in addition to technical and user requirements issues. Topics covered include: the direct broadcast of audio programming from satellites; spacecraft technology; regulatory and policy considerations; advanced system concepts and analysis; propagation; and user requirements and applications

The Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia

The Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia. Each paper in the Proceedings has been double refereed by members of an independent panel of academic peers appointed by the Conference Committee. Papers were matched, where possible, to referees in the same field and with similar interests to the authors