BCBT follows a combined presentation and hands-on practicals format.
Sessions on high-level research related topics, including tutorial
level introductions with reports on cutting edge research will be
combined with introductions in practical technological and
methodological issues that will culminate in projects that the students
will develop and present during the summer school. In parallel we
foresee smaller ad-hoc meetings dealing with specific themes and/or
issues relevant to specific consortia.
The program committee of BCBT (Tony Prescott - Univ. Sheffield, Anil
Seth – Univ. Sussex, Tom Ziemke - University of Skövde, Paul Verschure
– Univ. Pompeu Fabra) has defined the following single track sessions:
1: Hybrid brain-like systems: Interfacing man made and natural systems: How do we interface natural & artificial systems. Here we will deal with issues in the area of physiology, nano-technology, bio-nano interfaces, neuronal and artificial substrates, brain-computer interfaces, bio-sensors, etc.
2: The replication, simulation, validation and emulation of biological systems: Implementation oriented electrical engineering of neuronal systems, simulation techniques and platforms, scaling problems, integration issues, robotics etc.
3: Principles and technology of biologically based cognitive architectures: system level proposals on how different elements and sub-systems should hang together to create a functioning whole, what are the design primitives we are dealing with? Cognition should be taken in the broadest possible sense.
4: Learning, development and adaptation. From both a theoretical and a biological perspective.
5: System level explanations of brain function. In all cases we want to base our technologies and models on biology (this is a stronger position than one based on “inspiration”). Hence, getting some solid systems neuroscience would be good.
6: Consciousness: mechanisms and functions (Supported by a COST network).
7: How to define a coordination action for the Cognitive systems / BIO-ICT convergence initiatives. This is specifically focused on the Coordinators & PIs with the goal to have a clear plan, hopefully already partially written, by the end of the workshop.