10,634 research outputs found
Memory and information processing in neuromorphic systems
A striking difference between brain-inspired neuromorphic processors and
current von Neumann processors architectures is the way in which memory and
processing is organized. As Information and Communication Technologies continue
to address the need for increased computational power through the increase of
cores within a digital processor, neuromorphic engineers and scientists can
complement this need by building processor architectures where memory is
distributed with the processing. In this paper we present a survey of
brain-inspired processor architectures that support models of cortical networks
and deep neural networks. These architectures range from serial clocked
implementations of multi-neuron systems to massively parallel asynchronous ones
and from purely digital systems to mixed analog/digital systems which implement
more biological-like models of neurons and synapses together with a suite of
adaptation and learning mechanisms analogous to the ones found in biological
nervous systems. We describe the advantages of the different approaches being
pursued and present the challenges that need to be addressed for building
artificial neural processing systems that can display the richness of behaviors
seen in biological systems.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of IEEE, review of recently proposed
neuromorphic computing platforms and system
Analysis of heterogeneous collaboration in the German research system with a focus on nanotechnology
The German research system is functionally differentiated into various institutional pillars, most importantly the university system and the extra-university sector including institutes of the Helmholtz Association, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association and the Fraunhofer Society. While the research organisations heterogeneous institutional profiles are widely regarded as a key strength of the German research landscape, tendencies towards segmentation and institutional self-interests have increasingly impeded inter-institutional collaboration. Yet, in young and highly dynamic fields, many research breakthroughs are stimulated at the intersection of established scientific disciplines and across fundamental and applied technological research. Therefore, inter-institutional collaboration is an important dimension of the performance of the German research system. There is tension between the need for effective inter-institutional collaboration on the one hand, and the governance structures in the public research sector on the other hand. The paper presents preliminary results of an ongoing DFG project on collaborations between the various research institutions in Germany, particularly in the field of nano S&T. It introduces key facts of the German research system including institutional dynamics between 1990 and 2002. It discusses rationales for cooperative research relationships and elaborates on institutional factors that either facilitate or interfere with the transfer of knowledge and expertise between research organizations. For this purpose, the paper refers to a governance cube as a heuristic tool that captures three institutional dimensions which are important in facilitating heterogeneous research cooperation. --
Nanotechnology Publications and Patents: A Review of Social Science Studies and Search Strategies
This paper provides a comprehensive review of more than 120 social science studies in nanoscience and technology, all of which analyze publication and patent data. We conduct a comparative analysis of bibliometric search strategies that these studies use to harvest publication and patent data related to nanoscience and technology. We implement these strategies on 2006 publication data and find that Mogoutov and Kahane (2007), with their evolutionary lexical query search strategy, extract the highest number of records from the Web of Science. The strategies of Glanzel et al. (2003), Noyons et al. (2003), Porter et al. (2008) and Mogoutov and Kahane (2007) produce very similar ranking tables of the top ten nanotechnology subject areas and the top ten most prolific countries and institutions.nanotechnology, research and development, productivity, publications, patents, bibliometric analysis, search strategy
Room temperature self-assembly of mixed nanoparticles into complex material systems and devices
The ability to manufacture nanomaterials with complex and structured
composition using otherwise incompatible materials increasingly underpins the
next generation of technologies. This is translating into growing efforts
integrating a wider range of materials onto key technology platforms1 - in
photonics, one such platform is silica, a passive, low loss and robust medium
crucial for efficient optical transport2. Active functionalisation, either
through added gain or nonlinearity, is mostly possible through the integration
of active materials3, 4. The high temperatures used in manufacturing of silica
waveguides, unfortunately, make it impossible to presently integrate many
organic and inorganic species critical to achieving this extended
functionality. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of novel waveguides and
devices made up of complex silica based materials using the self-assembly of
nanoparticles. In particular, the room temperature fabrication of silica
microwires integrated with organic dyes (Rhodamine B) and single photon
emitting nanodiamonds is presented.Comment: Key words: nanotechnology, nanoparticles, self-assembly, quantum
science, singel photon emitters, telecommunications, sensing, new materials,
integration of incompatible materials, silica, glass, breakthrough scienc
Hercules finances research infrastructure
In 2007 the Flemish government created a structural funding channel to support investment in research infrastructure: Hercules. On 15 October 2008 the Hercules Foundation approved a first list of investment proposals. In this article specific features of this first call are examined
- …