The problem is, said Professor Nik Kasabov, nobody yet knows how to unlock the full capabilities of such technology for efficient problem solving.
"We have developed a novel computational framework that can create flexible and configurable application systems to run on this super-computer hardware - or on any other neuromorphic chips or systems," said Professor Kasabov, director of AUT's Knowledge, Engineering and Discovery Research Institute (KENRI).
"And the developed application system, using our framework, can run on a simple laptop with an electronic board connected to it, or on a small chip embedded in a robot."
The NeuCube neurocomputer he originated draws upon the same information-processing principles in our brains, where information is represented in temporal sequences of electrical signals, or "spikes".
The machine - which could become the cornerstone of technology replacing laptops - combined software and hardware to tackle complex problems never solved before.
For humans, the potential benefits were as vast as they were startling.
"If we can use this neurocomputer to capture the patterns that are building up inside the human brain before a stroke happens, or before a patient of a neurodegenerative disease is treated with a drug, we can predict and prevent fatal events."
Dr Kasabov's team had already compared brain scans of people who had a stroke with those of healthy brains, finding the NeuCube was shown to be able to predict with 95 per cent accuracy whether someone was going to have a stroke in the next 24 hours.
As a feasibility analysis, a NeuCube application model was trained on retrospective New Zealand seismic data to predict risk of earthquakes early and accurately.
Its preliminary testing results were encouraging - the model was able to predict most of the large earthquakes around Christchurch 24 hours before the events.
The NeuCube neurocomputer will be launched before more than 80 leading scientists at the 13th Neuro-Computing and Evolving Intelligence, held this Thursday and Friday.
"We are very proud that we are leading the world with the NeuCube as the first neurocomputer of its kind."
But moving the NeuCube from patent-protected prototype to product would require hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment - and if New Zealand wanted to reap the benefits of the IP, the funds would need to come from here.
•People can check out the NeuCube for themselves in a demonstration to be held during the at AUT's WG Sir Paul Reeves Building Building, Governor Fitzroy Place, between 4pm-6pm on Thursday and Friday.
Brain power
• The brain contains an estimated 80 billion information-processing cells, each acting as a tiny electrical microprocessor that fires signals hundreds of times a second through a vast network of connections.
• Many scientists believe harnessing this processing power will allow us to meet the demands of a future explosion in new data and information.
• Scientists from AUT's Knowledge, Engineering and Discovery Research Institute believe they have found a new computational paradigm.
• The prototype device has retrospectively predicted earthquake and stroke risks.
Read more at tinyurl.com/BrainScienceNZH
