Automatic Generation of Bio-inspired Retina-Like Processing Hardware

This paper describes a tool devised for automatic design of bioinspired visual processing models using reconfigurable digital hardware. The whole system is indicated for the analysis of vision models, especially those with real–time requirements. We achieve a synthesizable FPGA/ASIC design starting from a high level description of a retina, which is made and simulated through an ad-hoc program. Our tool allows a thorough simulation of the visual model at different abstraction levels, from functional simulation of the visual specifications up to hardware-oriented simulation of the developed FPGA model. The main objective of this work is to build a portable and flexible system for a visual neuro-prosthesis and to stimulate efficiently an array of intra–cortical implanted microelectrodes. A set of parameters can be adjusted in every step of the design flow in order to maximize the design flexibility of the model. Furthermore these parameters allow the different scientists who have to deal with the development to modify a well known characteristic.