BIO-I3 and other NEURO-IT related initiatives

Mantainer

Miguel Rocha

Objectives

Reverse engineering of the brain could overcome the present obstacles to truly intelligent information systems. The objective is to explore new avenues in the design of intelligent information systems that attribute meaning to complex patterns of sensory stimuli and generate sequences of elementary actions that satisfy high-level goals.

The ultimate aim is to build systems that exhibit flexible, autonomous, goal-directed behaviour in response to changes in internal and external conditions.

Focus/Approach

The design and construction of novel intelligent information systems will focus on the following reasearch themes:

• multidisciplinary characterisation of computational properties, structure and other physical constraints of

large assemblies of interconnected neurones that process information in the perceptual, motor or cognitive domains and serve as a model for new IT architectures and design;

• mechanisms of evolution, development and plasticity that support self-construction, and self-repair of

artificial or hybrid (biological/artificial) intelligent information processing systems; exploration of hardware and materials suitable for interfacing to the nervous system, or for implementing sensors, processors and actuators in modifiable, adaptive, growing systems;

• integrated control architectures that generate and exploit world- and/or self-awareness.

UM/EEng Competences

Competences:

• Artificial Neural Networks;
• Evolutionary Computation;
• Modelling and optimization of bioprocesses

There is a clear lack of competence in the areas of:

• Study of natural brains / neurones
• Integration of natural cells with electronic devices

-- CarlosBaquero - 27 Sep 2005