Biologically-Inspired Massively Parallel Architectures - computing beyond a million processors
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Automatic Control and Systems Eng
Abstract
The human brain remains as one of the great frontiers of science - how does this organ upon which we all depend so critically actually do its job? A great deal is known about the underlying technology - the neuron - and we can observe large-scale brain activity through techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging, but this knowledge barely starts to tell us how the brain works. Something is happening at the intermediate levels of processing that we have yet to begin to understand, but the essence of the brain's information processing function probably lies in these intermediate levels. To get at these middle layers requires that we build models of very large systems of spiking neurons, with structures inspired by the increasingly detailed findings of neuroscience, in order to investigate the emergent behaviours, adaptability and fault-tolerance of those systems.Our goal in this project is to deliver machines of unprecedented cost-effectiveness for this task, and to make them readily accessible to as wide a user base as possible. We will also explore the applicability of the unique architecture that has emerged from the pursuit of this goal to other important application domains.
Publications

Aram P
(2013)
Spatiotemporal multi-resolution approximation of the Amari type neural field model.
in NeuroImage

Cope AJ
(2017)
SpineCreator: a Graphical User Interface for the Creation of Layered Neural Models.
in Neuroinformatics


Richmond P
(2014)
From model specification to simulation of biologically constrained networks of spiking neurons.
in Neuroinformatics

Richmond P.
(2012)
Path Tracing on Massively Parallel Nueromorphic Hardware
in Proc. of Theory and Practice of Computer Graphics (TPCG)
Description | The development of tools to enable neuro scientists to develop complex neurological models to run on a special purpose parallel computer to gain understanding of neurological behavior. |
Exploitation Route | The tools can be developed to integrate with other languages for neurological systems or applied to other parallel computer systems. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
URL | http://bimpa.group.shef.ac.uk/SpineML/index.php/Home |
Description | Citations indicate continued interest in this approach to neurological modelling. |
First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | BBSRC - The Digital Fruit Fly Brain |
Amount | £530,874 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/M025527/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2015 |
End | 08/2018 |
Description | EC - FP6/7 |
Amount | € 4,181,071 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 610391 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 01/2014 |
End | 12/2016 |
Description | EPSRC -Green Brain: Computational Modelling of the Honeybee Brain |
Amount | £660,561 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/J019534/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2013 |
End | 08/2016 |
Description | Kickstart - A Neural Microcircuit in Silco: Biologically Realistic Neuromorphic Engineering at Sheffield |
Amount | £53,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2012 |
End | 08/2012 |
Title | Neurological simulation toolset |
Description | Development of the DAMSON programming language for parallel description and emulation of neural systems Development of graphical front end to describe cell and networks Translation tools for neurological simulation using PyNN and Brahms languages Compiler, linker and loader for Spinnaker hardware |
Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Enables large system of neurons to be simulated on a PC, to run independently or to be integrated with other software tools, e.g. Brahms. Validation of previous neurological models run using Matlab or custom software Increased simulation performance using the SPinnaker hardware. |
URL | http://bimpa.group.shef.ac.uk/SpineML/index.php/Home |
Title | SpinML |
Description | Collection of neurological models to provide reference models for simulation. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Verification of existing models using by other research groups. Used by Green Brain project (EPSRC) and NoTremor project (EU). |
Title | BIMPA toolset |
Description | A set of tools to compiler, emulate, link and load neurological programs for the Spinnaker hardware. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Impact | Provision of new software tools for the neuroscience community. |
URL | http://bimpa.group.shef.ac.uk/SpineML/index.php/Home |