Neuromorphic microchips

A small but innovative community of engineers is making significant progress in copying neuronal organization and function. Neuromorphic microchips, which take cues from neural structure, have already demonstrated impressive power reductions. If successful, this work could lead to implantable silicon retinas for the blind and sound processors for the deaf that last for 30 years on a single nine-volt battery or to low-cost, highly effective visual, audio or olfactory recognition chips for robots and other smart machines.