Patent ID: 7426501

Claim:
An electromechanical neural network system based on nanotechnology, comprising: an adaptive synaptic element comprising a plurality of nanoconductors suspended and free to move about in a liquid dielectric solution located within a connection gap formed between at least one pre-synaptic electrode and at least one post-synaptic electrode, wherein said liquid dielectric solution comprises a mixture of said plurality of nanoconductors and a dielectric solvent, wherein said liquid dielectric solution possesses an electrical conductance that is less than an electrical conductance of said plurality of nanoconductors suspended in said liquid dielectric solution; a plurality of interconnected nanoconnections associated with said adaptive synaptic element, said plurality of interconnected nanoconnections comprising said plurality of nanoconductors in said liquid dielectric solution, said plurality of interconnected nanoconnections electrically connecting said at least one pre-synaptic electrode to said at least one post-synaptic electrode through said liquid dielectric solution and said plurality of nanoconductors disposed within said liquid dielectric solution; and a voltage mechanism for applying an electric field across said connection gap, whereby said electric field induces a dipole in each nanoconductor among said plurality of nanoconductors, thereby creating a dielectrophoretic force attracting said plurality of nanoconductors to said connection gap and aligning said plurality of nanoconductors within said liquid dielectric solution and strengthening or weakening each nanoconnection among said plurality of interconnected nanoconnections according to an application of said electric field across said connection gap; and a feedback circuit electrically connected to and associated with said adaptive synaptic element and said voltage mechanism, said feedback circuit providing at least one feedback signal, wherein said feedback circuit together with said adaptive synaptic element and said voltage mechanism comprise a multi-layer, feed-forward network that includes said liquid dielectric solution, said at least one pre-synaptic electrode and said at least one-post synaptic electrode.