Spiking Neural Network Chip for Smarter Sensors

By mimicking the way the brain operates, neuromorphic processors can expend dramatically less energy than conventional technology for certain applications. Now, the Dutch firm Innatera has launched what it calls the world’s first commercially available neuromorphic microcontroller, in the hope of spurring mass-market adoption of this emerging technology. Innatera says its new chip, Pulsar, can lower latency to as little as one-one-hundredth that of conventional processors and consume only one-five-hundredth the power they use for artificial intelligence applications. “Most AI accelerators today have to deal with a tradeoff between performance and power,” says Sumeet Kumar, cofounder and CEO of Innatera. “They either run simplified AI models to consume less power, or ramp up their accuracy and the amount of power they need. With Pulsar, you don’t have to give up anything.” Neuromorphic Chips Mimic Brain Function Neuromorphic devices often imitate the workings of the brain in a variety o