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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.

Cite or link to this article

Griffin, M. (2016) 'Samsung uses IBM’s brain chip to build a digital eye', 311 Institute, 15 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/samsung-uses-ibms-brain-chip-to-build-a-digital-eye/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).

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. That said though, despite the chips lofty aspirations of mimicking the architecture of the human brain it still has some way to go before it can process the same tasks with a hundred million times less power than a computer like our brains do.

By using the new chip in their gadgets Samsung has been able to demonstrate that they can up the frames per second from a paltry 120, which is considered superb for even the most expensive gadgets to over 2,000 and at that frame rate suddenly things become interesting because when you can begin measuring what's termed the "Time of flight" of light, that is the amount of time that it takes light to travel from a surface to the surface of the sensor a whole host of new applications open up.

In Samsung's case these equate to better gesture recognition at a distance of over ten feet and the ability to better track motion in a 3D space but across the way at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory they're using the same technology to succesfully pick vehicles out of cluttered video surveillance simulations. Meanwhile other organisations are using the new chips to create better 3D maps of the world while others are embedding it into self driving cars and drones.

If you want to know where this technology will ultimately take us then it's into a world of seeing machines and, when combined with AI and all of the other emerging technologies that are hitting ground, it will be looked back on as one of the technologies that helped revolutionise the world.

Freaky.

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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.

Matthew Griffin

About the author

Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute

Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."

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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.

An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.

Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.

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Sources and further reading

  1. Neurosynaptic chips.shtml research.ibm.com

Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 15 August 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Samsung uses IBM’s brain chip to build a digital eye. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/samsung-uses-ibms-brain-chip-to-build-a-digital-eye/

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