| Description |
First invented by Kanerva, Sparse Distributed Memory (SDM) is a special class of content addressable memories that allows for storage and retrieval of data patterns through the use of the patterns themselves. An SDM works in a similar fashion to human memory in that it recalls all patterns similar to some input pattern, automatically. Since SDMs require a great amount of memory, their use has been
quite rare, until recently when the price of large memories has dropped. Though SDMs can be simulated on a personal computer, they tend to run slowly and hence, limit their application. An SDM that is implemented in hardware would increase its speed by two to three orders of magnitude and hence, make its use in real-time applications feasible. If realized as a plug-in board or a USB device then it can readily be connected to a PC and accessed from within programs running on that PC. The objective of this project is to design, build and demonstrate such a device. All necessary support -academic and financial - will be provided to make this a reality.
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