Neurmorophic Embodied Agents that Learn (NEAL): 2014 to 2020

NEAL is part of the Human Brain Project. One of the major goals of the HBP was to develop agents walking around in virtual environments that would support the exploration of brain function.

Agents on SpiNNaker and NEST

• The first portion of the project was to implement agents using the projects neural systems.
• These systems are NEST, a widely used simulator, and SpiNNaker, a neuromorphic platform. We have several SpiNNaker boards around, but you can currently access the billion neuron machine over the internet.
• We followed are basic architecture from earlier work, and translated it to these systems.
• It involved natural language parsing, vision, planning, and cognitive mapping.

Reusable Neural Component Architecture

• In the second portion of the project we developed reusable, extended components.
• These include natural langage parsing, planning, cognitive mapping and associative memory.
• The idea was to use these components and specify the particular behaviour for the agent. This way, it would be relatively easy to make a new agent.

Extended Component Architecture and the Neurorobotics Platform

• In the third portion of the project, we extended our component architecture.
• We added natural language generation, a rule based system, and timers.
• This also led to a neural cognitive architecture.
• Also made components for BrainScales, different neuromorphic system.
• Finally, these components and particular agents were integrated with the HBPs virtual environment, the Neurorobotics Platform.