Analog Electronic Neuron Demonstrator lu.i

The LU.I Neuron Demonstrator https://github.com/giant-axon/lu.i-neuron-pcb is a printed circuit board (PCB), which features a configurable, fully analog implementation of the leaky integrate-and-fire neuron model. It visualizes the membrane potential through a VU-meter-style chain of LEDs. Multiple lu.i boards can be connected to form simple neural networks. For more information, please check-out our publication about Lu.i: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2025.100248

The primary aim of the board is to serve as a "graspable" demonstration of a highly simplified building block of an analog spiking neural network, working in "decelerated real time", so that the operation is visible to the naked eye.

It is a very useful item in teaching settings and if you would like to use it in a course setting it is possible to borrow a set of 20 of them. Please contact brainscales_admin(at)kip.uni-heidelberg.de for details.

(Photo: Heidelberg University)

Lu.i usage example photos from the Lu.i publication: 

BrainScaleS for education

The real BrainScaleS research systems can also be used (online with no software installation - only a browser is required) in teaching settings. Several tutorial executable "notebooks" (Python notebooks, which can be executed on the EBRAINS Jupyter service, which interact with the BrainScaleS hardware operated in Heidelberg, Germany) from single neuron experiments up to training examples for (small) networks for spiking neural networks are publicly available. They can be viewed here on github and can be used on EBRAINS with an EBRAINS account (see here how to start).

For use in class settings with under-age pupils EBRAINS also offers "guest accounts". Please see the EBRAINS education team for details on the wider EBRAINS training opportunities (including the EBRAINS tools for teaching brochure).

BrainScaleS for research

For research we provide online access to the BrainScaleS system. This system features 512 neuron circuits per chip with complex dynamics and parameters to tune the neurons, operating at 1000x real time. Each neuron circuit integrates synaptic stimuli from a column of 256 plastic synapses and on chip programmable plasticity rules.

To get access to the system (free of charge for testing), please follow the procedure described on the getting access page.