Spaun, which stands for Semantic
Pointer Architecture Unified Network, is a computer model that can recognize
numbers, remember them, figure out numeric sequences, and even write them down
with a robotic arm. It’s a major leap in brain simulation, because it’s the
first model that can actually emulate behaviors while also modeling the
physiology that underlies them. The program consists of 2.5 million simulated
neurons organized into subsystems that are designed to resemble specific brain
regions, including the prefrontal cortex, basil ganglia and thalamus. It has a
virtual eye and a robotic arm, and can perform a series of tasks, each
different from one another.
It’s different from other
artificial brains like IBM’s Watson in that it’s designed to mimic behavior,
not simply solve for function in the best possible way. Where IBM wants Watson
to do one thing supremely well--search--Big Blue isn’t interested in how it’s
done. Other IBM brain simulations, like the massive Blue Brain Project, can
mimic brain spatial structure and connectivity--but they can’t mimic how this
structure is tied to behavior. Spaun is divided into two main structures,
representing the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. The neurons are wired
together in a physiologically realistic way, and they mimic what researchers
think the basal ganglia and cortex are doing during certain tasks.
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