Description

• Le projet SpikeAI est lauréat de l’appel à projets 2019 Biomimétisme :

The SpikeAI project targets analog computing for artificial intelligence in the form of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs). Computer vision systems widely rely on artificial intelligence and especially neural network based machine learning, which recently gained huge visibility. The training stage for deep convolutional neural networks is time-consuming and yields enormous energy consumption. In contrast, the human brain has the ability to perform visual tasks with unrivaled computational and energy efficiency. It is believed that one major factor of this efficiency is the fact that information is vastly represented by short pulses (spikes) at analog –not discrete– times. However, computer vision algorithms using such representation still lack in practice, and its high potential is largely underexploited. Inspired from biology, the project addresses the scientific question of developing a low-power, end-to-end analog sensing and processing architecture. This will be applied on the particular context of a field programmable analog array (FPAA) applied to a stereovision system dedicated to coastal surveillance using an aerial robot of 3D visual scenes, running on analog devices, without a central clock and to validate them in real-life situations. The ambitious long-term vision of the project is to develop the next generation AI paradigm that will at term compete with deep learning. We believe that neuromorphic computing, mainly studied in EU countries, will be a key technology in the next decade. It is therefore both a scientific and strategic challenge for France and EU to foster this technological breakthrough. This call will help kickstart collaboration within this European consortium to help leverage the chance to successfully apply to future large-scale grant proposals (e.g. ANR, CHIST-ERA, ERC).

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outcomes

The main goal was mainly to build a network of actors and to answer to relevant calls in the field of biomimetic research. We have communicated through the diffusion of computational frameworks and actions which are gathered online @ https://github.com/SpikeAI.

Summary of the actions taken:

• We had a APROVIS3D FPP meeting April 23-24, 2019 in Lille with all partners. The call could support the travel of the 5 participants from outside Lille. During these two days, we had a first day to know each other better and a second day devoted to writing the grant proposal.

• With the help of this call, we could kickstart a collaboration within this European consortium which helped successfully achieve a large-scale grant proposal (CHIST-ERA : https://laurentperrinet.github.io/grant/aprovis-3-d/ ).

• We organized a tutorial on deep learning during the GDR Vision, see https://github.com/SpikeAI/2019-10-10_ML-tutorial and https://laurentperrinet.github.io/post/2019-10-10_gdrvision-atelier/

• We could invite a major actor of the modeling of biomimetic computations, Ryad Benosman, to the GDR vision meeting. The call could support his travel and accommodation and was acknowledged in all communications (see https://gdrvision2019.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/6).