A Robust and Energy-Efficient Classifier Using Brain-Inspired Hyperdimensional Computing

The mathematical properties of high-dimensional (HD) spaces show remarkable agreement with behaviors controlled by the brain. Computing with HD vectors, referred to as "hypervectors," is a brain-inspired alternative to computing with numbers. Hypervectors are high-dimensional, holographic, and (pseudo)random with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) components. They provide for energy-efficient computing while tolerating hardware variation typical of nanoscale fabrics. We describe a hardware architecture for a hypervector-based classifier and demonstrate it with language identification from letter trigrams. The HD classifier is 96.7% accurate, 1.2% lower than a conventional machine learning method, operating with half the energy. Moreover, the HD classifier is able to tolerate 8.8-fold probability of failure of memory cells while maintaining 94% accuracy. This robust behavior with erroneous memory cells can significantly improve energy efficiency.