The model for innovative electronics is the human brain. Compared to today's computers, it not only processes information more effectively, but also saves energy. Take pattern recognition, for example: in order to recognize regularities, repetitions, similarities or regularities in a mass of data, the brain processes a large amount of very different information simultaneously and can even adapt to changing external conditions. In doing so, it works extremely energy-efficiently and requires just 25 watts. In order to better understand the laws governing the transmission of information by nerve cells and how local processes are connected to the entire nervous system, the SFB Neuroelectronics is investigating biological model organisms with nervous systems of varying complexity. To this end, the researchers derive basic principles of dynamic biological networks from the freshwater polyp Hydra, the box jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora and the lizard Anolis carolinensis and transfer them to technical systems. The core building blocks of the new technology are electronic components that have a memory effect: Such memristive components - they are able to store the course of electrical signals - the scientists want to integrate into dynamic circuit architectures in the future. The word memristive is made up of the English words "memory" and "resistor" for electrical resistance. This is where TU Ilmenau applies its expertise and bridges the gap between basic research and application. Prof. Martin Ziegler, deputy spokesman of the SFB Neuroelectronics and head of the Department of Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems at TU Ilmenau, has been researching bioinspired electronics in the research group "Memristive Devices for Neural Systems" since 2014. Prof. Ziegler is confident that memristive devices will enable the development of highly energy-efficient systems in the future: "We will be able to technically reproduce the biological paradigms of information processing, learning and memory formation, more precisely than ever before and create completely new possibilities for information technology." The TU Ilmenau is involved in the SFB Neuroelectronics with three subprojects and three doctoral positions. Saving energy in electronic information processing is the order of the day. The digital revolution of modern society is accompanied by a rapid increase in energy demand and thus in carbon dioxide emissions. The hardware used in IT applications around the globe already consumes a third of the total electrical energy produced worldwide - and the trend is rising sharply: scientific projections predict that in around 15 years' time the total worldwide production of electrical energy will no longer be sufficient to meet the power requirements of IT hardware. Biologically inspired, extremely energy-efficient electronic systems will help drive digital information processing. A new generation of computer architectures and technologies, born out of the SFB Neuroelectronics, could lead, among other things, to applications in robotics, sensor technology, autonomous driving, but also in medical technology, such as bionic prostheses. Research institutions involved in the SFB Neuroelectronics: - Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (host university) - Ilmenau University of Technology - Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg - Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics Frankfurt/Oder -Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Kiel - Ruhr University Bochum - Lübeck University of Technology - University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf - University College Cork, Ireland Contact: Prof. Martin Ziegler Head of Department Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems +49 3677 69-3711martin.ziegler@tu-ilmenau.de
