Insects are capable of amazing autonomous feats well beyond current computers, such as navigating across hundreds of kilometres. Here, we want to realize artificial neural networks inspired by neurobiology with our combined skills in nanotechnology.
About InsectNeuroNano
The goal of the project is to develop nanophotonic on-chip devices for integrated sensing and neural computation, inspired by the insect brain. This will uniquely combine four lines of research:
- Progress in understanding insect neurobiology that provides proven circuit designs to solve significant problems such as autonomous navigation;
- Advanced III-V semiconductor nanowire technology that exploits light to obtain a large number of interconnects with extremely low power consumption;
- Optically efficient stable molecular dyes that can be used for novel memory components;
- Circuit technology developed for quantum computing.
As proof of concept, we target the complete pathway from polarised light sensing in the insect eye to the internal compass and memory circuits by which this information is integrated in a continuous accurate estimate of location.
The project is funded by the EC in the Horizon Europe programme (GA 101046790). The project will start on 1st of April 2022 and run for four years.
The project is a collaboration of research groups at Lund University, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Edinburgh and University of Groningen.
Photonics for AI’ symposium at CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2025 conference
The ‘Photonics for AI’ symposium at CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2025 during 23-26 June covers the status, prospects, and challenges of light-based computing technologies for AI taking advantage of new materials, devices, architectures, software, algorithms and simulation tools. The InsectNeuroNano contributes with 4 conference papers to the symposium from INL, Lund University and University of Copenhagen. The symposium is co-organized by a team member from InsectNeuroNano consortium (Bruno Romeira).
Coordinator: Anders Mikkelsen
Email: anders [dot] mikkelsen [at] sljus [dot] lu [dot] se
Funding (Horizon Europe Programme, Project 101046790 - InsectNeuroNano) is gratefully acknowledged.
