Brainoware: Scientists fuse Brain-like Tissue with Electronics

Source-This post on Brainoware is based on the article “Scientists fuse brain-like tissue with electronics to make computer” published in “The Hindu” on 3rd January 2024.

Why in the News?

A team of researchers has recently combined brain-like tissue with electronics to create an ‘organoid neural network’ known as Brainoware. It is capable of recognizing voices and solving complex maths problems.

How does it work?

1) Researchers utilized lab-grown real human brain tissue to create mini-brains known as organoids.
Note– Brain organoids are 3D clusters of brain cells. These organoids are not actual brains, they are simply tissue structures without thoughts or feelings. They help in studying how the brain works without using a real human brain.

2) Brainoware connects these organoids to microelectrodes through a method of artificial neural network known as reservoir computing.

3) This device comprises three layers: input, reservoir, and output.

4) The brain organoid, which is connected to microelectrodes, acts as the reservoir. It received inputs via electrical stimulation from the input layer (live brain cells). The output layer comprised modified conventional computer hardware programmed to recognize Brainoware’s neural activity.

5) The researchers showcased Brainoware’s capabilities by forecasting a Henon map. Henon map is a mathematical function that plots a curve on a graph, displaying chaotic or non-chaotic behaviour based on the values of two variables.

Significance:

It marks a significant advancement in multiple areas of science and engineering, such as tissue engineering, electrophysiology, and neural computation.

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