Samsung uses IBM's brain chip to build a digital eye

IBM's TrueNorth, a cognitive "neuromorphic" computing chip whose architecture resembles that of the human brain – although it switches neurons for transistors, is being trialled by Samsung to improve the Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS) in their next generation gadgets, essentially helping them to build the equivalent of a digital eye that is far superior to today's camera based technologies. And they're not the only ones to be using the chip in anger. IBM's chip has been optimized for processing large amounts of data on the fly and its 4,096 cores combine to create about a million "digital" neurons and 256 million synapse connections. As a consequence not only does it operate extremely quickly but it also, and most importantly for Samsung, consumes far less energy than typical processors using only 300 milliwatts of power. That's a hundredth the power consumption found in a traditional laptop and about a tenth of most smartphones.