Cluster of video games maps brain

Electronic Devices / Hardware

Four college students have devised a way to use a cluster of Sony PLAYSTATION3 video game consoles, for large-scale modeling of the human brain. Their design won them first place – and $10,000 – in IBM’s Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) Processor University Challenge.

Nearly 80,000 students from 25 countries competed in the challenge, which included a contest to invent applications using the powerful processor. Students' designs included everything from applications-oriented solutions (e.g., visualization, medical imaging and seismic computing) to High Performance Computing and industry-wide programmability tools.

"This contest provided a growth opportunity for students to gain real-life, multi-disciplinary skills to apply to their futures as they move from the classroom to the workforce," said Nick Donofrio, IBM executive vice president, Innovation and Technology. "This challenge also proved the true power, potential and promise of student innovations."

The Cell processor was originally designed by IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba Corp., for use in consumer devices, but is finding new applications in other fields.

Source: IBM

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