Our Mission

The primary mission of CNES is to build machines that can solve complex real-world problems with the intelligence and efficiency of natural systems. The need for such machines cuts across a wide variety of applications, including smart robots, low-power miniature unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and intelligent sensors.

Key questions that guide our research:

1. What is the basis of intelligence?
2. How does brain complexity scale with the size of the neural network?
3. Can we formalize the concept of self-organization in open thermodynamic systems?
4. How do we link the generality of self-organization with specific neural mechanisms found in the mammalian brain?
5. How are evolution and entropy production linked with emergence of structure and intelligence?
6. Can we build neuromorphic hardware that emulates mammalian brain structure and function with comparable power and size constraints?
7. Can we simulate very large-scale brain models on computers?
8. How do we quantify intelligence in complex systems?
9. What is the neural basis for spontaneous activity in the brain?
10. Can we engineer physical implementations to exhibit intelligence?
11. Is there a general principle that can explain the physical basis of intelligence in both animate and in-animate systems?