Grundbrakkin Vision System Mimmicks Brain tae Cut E-Waste

A new energy-efficient artificial vision system, inspired by the human brain an pairtly made fae hinny, promises tae lessen the burden o electronic waste. Engineers fae the University o Glesga, in collaboration wi researchers fae São Paulo State University an Hong Kong Metropolitan University, hae crafted a system that employs organic, biodegradable, an recyclable materials. This innovative design allous the system tae ‘see’ an ‘mind’ colours while consumin minimal pouer.

The device, kent as an Electrolyte-Gated Organic Field-Effect Transistor (EGOFET), integrates three essential functions: sensin licht, processin information, an storin it in memory. Remerkably, it retains information even whan pouered aff, shawcasin a feature cried non-volatility. This capability cuid mak it pairticularly effective for real-warld yaises, sic as in autonomous drones or smairt security systems.

The EGOFET improves on previous artificial vision systems that relied on silicon-based CMOS sensors, whit demanded substantial computin pouer an energy. Theodoros Serghiou, fae the University o Glesga’s James Watt School o Engineerin, led the development. He explained, “In conventional computin, there’s an inherent latency fae haein tae fetch an transfer data in CMOS-based systems due tae the physical separation atween the processin an memory units. Oor new memory-based device, houaniver, performs these functions simultaneously in-memory, similar tae hoo synapses in the human brain wark.”

The team biggit their prototype on a glass substrate yaisin gowd electrodes, a layer o organic, photosensitive perylene, an hinny as an electrolyte. This setup allous the system tae act as a photodetector, producin current spikes that vary wi different licht wavelengths an intensities. The EGOFET staunds oot for its energy efficiency, requirin ainly 2.4 picojoules o energy per spikin event, makin it ane o the maist efficient devices o its kin.

Professor Jeff Kettle, the paper’s correspondin author, noted, “Oor device is able tae emulate key synaptic behaviours sic as short-term an lang-term plasticity wi heich fidelity.” The research has implications ayont artificial vision, extendin intae sustainable neuromorphic computin an energy-efficient electronics. The team plans tae scale the prototype intae arrays for better image recognition, pavin the wey for eco-friendly artificial vision systems.

Aince the device raxes the eyn o its yaisefu life, the glass an gowd components can be recycled, while the organic pairts will biodegrade naiturally. The research, cryed ‘Sustainable an Tunable Synaptic Electrolyte-Gated Organic Field-Effect Transistors (EGOFETs) for Licht Adaptive Visual Perceptive Systems,’ is published in Advanced Functional Materials. It received support fae the UKRI Responsible Electronics an Circular Technology Centre an the São Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil.