Technology


Study seeks to determine if AI and our brains process things the same way


University of Glasgow researchers are working on a project to understand whether the human brain and neural network models recognise things in the same way, using the same process steps. One current challenge in accurate


AI development is understanding if the process of machine learning matches that of how humans process information. Te researchers’ study will then identify ways of creating more accurate and reliable AI models. “Creating human-like AI is about more than


mimicking human behaviour,” said Professor Philippe Schyns, Dean of Research Technology at the University of Glasgow. “Technology must be able to process information, or ‘think’, like or better than humans, if it is to be fully


relied upon. We want to make sure AI models are using the same process to recognise things as a human does, so we don’t just have the illusion that the system is working.” Neural networks, which are part of the


broader family of machine learning, have become increasingly used in automated applications, such as face-recognition systems and self-driving cars – even though scientists still do not fully understand how these networks process information. Researchers use deep neural networks


(DNNs) to model the processing of information. While DNNs have become an increasingly popular tool to model the brain’s computations, particularly to visually recognise real-world “things”, the ways in which DNNs do this can be very different.


First, the researchers must show that both the


brain and DNNs recognise the same things – such as a face, for example – by using the same facial features. Ten, they need to establish if the brain and DNNs process those features in the same way, with the same computational steps. “Having a better understanding of


whether the human brain and its DNN models recognise things the same way would allow for more accurate real-world applications using DNNs,” said Schyns. “If we have a greater understanding of the mechanisms of recognition in human brains, we can then transfer that knowledge to DNNs, which in turn will help improve the way DNNs are used in applications such as facial recognition, where currently they are not always accurate.”


Paper supercapacitors promise sustainable energy storage in the near future


Researchers from the Digital Cellulose Center in Sweden have developed a paper supercapacitor that can store renewable energy on a large scale and as efficiently as conventional, commercial supercapacitors. “Our energy demand will only increase,


and we need new technologies to store renewable energy sustainably,” said Dr. Jesper Edberg, Scientific Leader at the Digital Cellulose Center and Researcher at RISE, Sweden. “We aim to create sustainable, renewable and reusable electronics, and this is a prime example of how we, in the near future, can create green storage for green energy.” Te researchers developed a printed


supercapacitor by replacing the plastic substrates with paper, making it more sustainable. Te paper is coated with aluminum, functioning both as the device’s current collector and as a barrier for moisture and oxygen. Now research focuses on increasing its capacitance and voltage. Individual devices show capacitance of 10F, with a ‘sheet’ of them increasing it to 127.8F, or 332.8mF/cm2


Renewable energy will need renewable storage, like these paper supercapacitors, developed by the Digital Cellulose Center in Sweden


four individual paper supercapacitors were arranged in series. “Te capacitance of the paper supercapacitor


is approximately equivalent to commercial supercapacitors when normalised against volume,” said Edberg. Te Swedish team believes that, in the near


. Connecting several


of these supercapacitors in series increases their operating voltage; for example, a device showed charging behaviour up to 5V when


future, businesses and society will need to store energy on-site, and these energy storage devices could, for instance, be built into the walls of buildings to store energy locally from solar cells on the roof, whilst at the same time functioning as insulation for the building. “One of the advantages of the paper device


is how it is manufactured, which we believe can lead to faster production. It is also thin, foldable and bendable and can be integrated into new environments where cylindrical, metal, commercial supercapacitors do not fit.” Another benefit of this paper storage device


is that it can be customised; aſter it is screen printed, it can be cut and connected in specific ways to power various applications. For small electronic devices that require minimal power, one sheet of this energy storage device will suffice, whereas to power something bigger, the devices, or sheets of them, can be connected in series to increase their voltage or capacitance.


www.electronicsworld.co.uk December/January 2023 05


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