Intel loihi, the first brain chip to 'sniff' dangerous chemicals

Intel said Monday that it had successfully trained its "Loihi" neuromorphic chip as a kind of "artificial nose, " identifying odors from ten different dangerous chemicals.

Intel Loihi, The first brain chip that 'sniffs' dangerous chemicals

Intel describes how it partnered with Cornell University to train Loihi to interpret and distinguish odors associated with potentially dangerous chemicals. In the future, electronic noses could be used to identify harmful substances, including diseases. Parkinson's, for example, has been associated with a particular odor.

Intel said it paired Loihi with the output of 72 chemical sensors, "teaching" Loihi that a particular response corresponded to the presence of a particular chemical. Loihi, who has tried to imitate the way the brain works, was taught through machine learning that the sensor output corresponded to a particular odor, including acetone, ammonia, and methane. Intel said it also used potentially interfering odors as a test to see how well the sensor could do.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, portable explosive trail detectors that "smell" your bags at the airport sample either extremely minute particles emitted by explosive materials, or the vapors emitted from them. While those sensors try to detect chemicals on their own, Intel's work with Loihi is a bit more abstract, trying to model what electrical signals your brain would generate when your olfactory cells are triggered.

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Intel developed the Loihi chip in 2017, a neuromorphic research chip that emulates the human brain. Although the chip was originally designed with 130, 000 silicon "neurons" connected to 130 million "synapses, " Intel increased its target to more than 1 billion synapses in 2019, that is, as "smart" as a mouse.

"Understanding how the brain's neural circuits solve these complex computational problems will provide important clues for designing efficient and robust mechanical intelligence , " said Nabil Imam, a senior research scientist in the neuromorphic computing group at the Intel Laboratory. We will keep you informed.

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