Milestone for energy-efficient AI systems: TUD launches SpiNNcloud supercomputer

TUD Dresden University of Technology has reached an essential milestone in the development of neuromorphic computer systems: The supercomputer SpiNNcloud, developed by Prof. Christian Mayr, Chair of Highly-Parallel VLSI Systems and Neuro-Microelectronics at TUD, goes into operation. The system which is based on the innovative SpiNNaker2 chip, currently comprises 35,000 chips and over five million processor cores - a crucial step in the development of energy-efficient AI systems.

These neuromorphic computer systems are based on nature's most powerful computer - the human brain. This opens up all new perspectives for data center architecture: Instead of relying solely on improvements to existing technologies, this novel approach extends the design of computer architectures to include brain-like principles such as distributed memory and event-driven processing. The result: a significant reduction in energy consumption combined with high performance and flexibility.

SpiNNaker2 was developed under the leadership of TUD-Prof. Mayr as part of the EU flagship project "Human Brain Project." "SpiNNaker2 combines a high level of efficiency with real-time processing, boasting latencies of less than one millisecond," explains Mayr. "Inspired by biological principles such as plasticity and dynamic reconfigurability, the system automatically adapts to complex, changing environments. This combination of biologically-inspired architecture and technological innovation opens up a plethora of new possibilities for AI applications in smart cities, autonomous driving and the tactile internet."

This supercomputer is part of the AI competence center ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig, which traverses the gap between the efficient use of mass data, knowledge management and very advanced AI by expanding and bundling regional big data competencies. As one of nine centers of the National High Performance Computing (NHR), the Center for Information Services and High-Performance Computing (ZIH) at TUD also offers special HPC resources as well as targeted support and advice. These systems are available to researchers from all over Germany.

"TU Dresden is setting standards with its computing infrastructure - from high-performance HPC systems to innovative architectures such as SpiNNaker2, which perfectly complement each other : In addition to classic HPC resources for high-performance simulations and data-driven analyses, SpiNNaker2 offers a unique platform for energy-efficient, real-time performing AI models. This combination creates an extraordinary technological basis for pushing the boundaries of science even further," explains ZIH and ScaDS.AI Director Prof. Wolfgang E. Nagel.

Prof. Steve Furber, pioneer of the original SpiNNaker at the University of Manchester, underlines the significance of this development: "With more than five times the number of neurons compared to the first SpiNNaker generation in Manchester, SpiNNcloud at TU Dresden marks a real breakthrough in neuromorphic computing. For the first time, we can use this energy-efficient, brain-inspired architecture on a truly massive scale."

Hector Gonzalez, co-founder and CEO of TUD’s spin-off SpiNNcloud, explains: "Our vision is to redefine the future of artificial intelligence through systems inspired by the brain. Large-scale implementations like this constitute an important milestone for AI and enable new ways to employ extremely efficient, state-of-the-art models — especially in today's world, where mainstream AI is increasingly relying on dynamic, sparse algorithms to address global energy shortages." The project benefits from the expertise of several industry partners: The RAFI Group is responsible for the production of the highly complex circuit boards, while Cloud & Heat provides the advanced water cooling for the infrastructure. The Adaptive Body Bias IP platform is provided by technology partner Racyics.

About ScaDS.AI

As one of the five AI centers in Germany, ScaDS.AI is funded as part of the German government's AI strategy and by the Free State of Saxony. ScaDS.AI unifies the expertise of TU Dresden, Leipzig University and twelve partner institutions in an international team with more than 60 senior scientists and over 200 members of staff. Its research bridges the gap between the efficient use of big data, knowledge management and AI, thus driving innovation. Further information: https/scads.ai

About SpiNNcloud

SpiNNcloud is a deep-tech spin-off of TUD. The company launched the world's first commercial, brain-inspired HPC platform that redefines traditional computing architectures through energy-efficient parallel processing and real-time capabilities. This innovative technology enables customers to develop energy-efficient and robust AI models while processing generic computational workloads.

The project was made possible through the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the SpiNNcloud project. The software stack used in such a large-scale system was financed by the EIC transition project SpiNNode and brought to life by SpiNNcloud.

Contact

Prof. Christian Mayr
TU Dresden
Chair of Highly-Parallel VLSI Systems and Neuro-Microelectronics
Email:

Prof. Wolfgang E. Nagel
ScaDS.AI – Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence
Chair of Computer Architecture
Email:

Dr. Hector A. Gonzalez
SpiNNcloud Systems GmbH
Co-Founder and CEO
Email: