Balancing guidance range and strength optimizes self-organization by silicon growth cones

Abstract

We characterize the first hardware implementation of a self-organizing map algorithm based on axon migration. A population of silicon growth cones automatically wires a topographic mapping by migrating toward sources of a diffusible guidance signal that is released by postsynaptic activity. We varied the diffusion radius of this signal, trading strength for range. Best performance is achieved by balancing signal strength against signal range. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.