Synchronization of MEMS Resonators and Mechanical Neurocomputing

IEEE Transactions On Circuits and Systems I(2001), 48:133-138.

Frank C. Hoppensteadt and Eugene M. Izhikevich

Systems Science Center, Box 7606,
Arizona State University,
Tempe, AZ 85287-7606.

Abstract. We combine here two well known and established concepts: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and neurocomputing. First, we consider MEMS oscillators having low amplitude activity and we derive a simple mathematical model that describes nonlinear phase-locking dynamics in them. Then, we investigate a theoretical possibility of using MEMS oscillators to build an oscillatory neurocomputer having autocorrelative associative memory. The neurocomputer stores and retrieves complex oscillatory patterns in the form of synchronized states with appropriate phase relations between the oscillators. Thus, we show that MEMS alone can be used to build a sophisticated information processing system (U.S. patent is applied for).

Keywords: Andronov-Hopf bifurcation, oscillatory associative memory, neural networks, smart matter

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