The development of an artificial circuit that simulates the human brain has brought researchers a step closer to build super-intelligent robots. Scientists have managed for the first time to create a circuit of 100 artificial synapses capable of performing a simple version of a typical human task: image classification.

Nano memory cell developed by the scientists is 10,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair. It stores and processes strands of information at the same time.

The analogue nature of the human brain is copied by the nano memory cell by keeping data stored in various states. Dmitri Strukov, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Santa Barbara, said the step might be small, but holds significant importance.

Chances are good for expansion of the circuit. It could also be scaled to become similar like the human brain’s, which has quadrillion synaptic connections.

Simulation of the human brain in electronics could have implication for research into conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Ethical issues involved in experimenting on the brain could be minimized by replicating a brain outside the body.

The circuit with artificial neural network successfully classified three letters; 'z', 'v' and 'n' in the latest demonstration. Circuit theorist Leon Chua originally envisioned the memristor in 1971. However, its existence was confirmed in 2008.

Researchers have called it a fourth class of electronic circuitry, along with resistors, capacitors and inductors. Scientists believe that the memristor has the potential of bringing an end for electronics and begin a new era called ionics.

It is believed that the way memristors behave is very similar to the synapses of neurons within the human brain.

“The exciting thing is that, unlike more exotic solutions, it is not difficult to imagine this technology integrated into common processing units and giving a serious boost to future computers”, said lead researcher Mirko Prezioso.