Themed on "Industrialization of Brain Simulation Computing and AI Tactile Sensor Application", the first Zhongguancun (Jingxi) Artificial Intelligence Industrialization Forum was held at the Jingxi Maker's Workshop in Mentougou Park in Beijing on May 6.

The forum was organized by Zhongguancun Mentougou Science Park Administrative Committee, Zhongguancun Jingxi Technology Company and Tashan Technology Corporation, and explored the development trend of brain simulation computing architecture and tactile sensing technology, promoting greater application of AI tactile sensors.

Cao Liqun, deputy director of the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee, Han Bai, deputy general manager of Zhongguancun Development Group, and Xue Zhiyong, deputy head of Mentougou district attended the meeting.

The forum was also attended by academicians and professors from the University of Manchester, Tsinghua University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Hefei University of Technology, and financial practitioners from Softbank China, Moom Group, Skysaga and Zhongguancun Sci-tech Leasing.

Guan Xiaohong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, elaborated on the integrated development of intelligence, networking and information physics in the future.

Professor Yang Wuqiang from the University of Manchester explained electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) and its application in tactile sensors.

Other guests also shared and exchanged ideas on artificial intelligence, brain simulation computing, tactile human-computer interaction, visual-tactile fusion, and new materials for tactile sensing. Some highlights of the forum are described below.

Third-generation brain simulation algorithms and tactile frontier technologies

As an authority in the field of brain simulation chips, Academician Steve Furber from the University of Manchester, deciphered the third-generation brain simulation algorithm SNN and SpiNNaker (Spiking Neuron Network Architecture), and systematically explained how to construct a brain simulation engineering model with a million ARM processors.

He also described the advantages of SNN compared with the deep learning algorithm DNN.

China's first AI capacitive touch laboratory established in Jingxi

The Manchester-Teshan Joint Laboratory (China) was set up in Zhongguancun (Jingxi) Artificial Intelligence Technology Park.

The first AI capacitive touch laboratory in China aggregates the multi-layer capacitive touch sensing technology of Tashan with the capacitance tomography and SpiNNaker technology of the University of Manchester.

The Manchester Tashan Joint Laboratory is unveiled at the forum. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Relying on the joint lab, Tashan Technology will develop a series of universal AI tactile sensor chips to break the bottleneck in commercializing service robots.

The cutting-edge industry in Mentougou Park is booming

Covering an area of 11,300 square meters, Zhongguancun Mentougou Science Park will be built into an incubation park equipped with incubation, acceleration, display and other industrial services to form an industrial ecosystem featuring "leading enterprises driving the overall development, accelerating the cultivation of small and medium-sized enterprises and incubating start-up businesses".

The growth rate of the park's gross revenue has reached a record high already in 2019.

The general income of high-tech enterprises above designated size in the park reached 7.96 billion yuan ($1.15 billion) from January to March, a year-on-year increase of 66.9 percent, a growth rate ranked first in the Zhongguancun Demonstration Zone.

In addition, the high-tech enterprises above designated size in the park realized a new product output value of 690 million yuan during the same period, a year-on-year increase of 49.6 percent, 45 percent higher than the average growth rate of the Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone.

Promoted by the CPC Mentougou District Committee, Mentougou district government, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee and the Zhongguancun Development Group, the "Future Gate" Forum Series focuses on boosting Jingxi's development through the industrialization of AI innovation technology.

Inviting authority figures to share their thoughts, the forum builds a platform for domestic and foreign entrepreneurs and scientists to exchange ideas and information.

In the future, Mentougou will hold "Future Gate" forums to boost the AI industry in Jinxi through the integration of science and economic resources.