Visual Pipeline Demonstration

In the past three weeks, I’ve focused on a static demo (fragmented cells, file-based, offline image / video) of all components of Beads that are implemented in the visual pipeline. I’ve also been focusing on reducing the time complexity of some operations (where N is of the order 10^7) for efficient processing.

Static Demo

Evening (cone dominant) conditions

Photo taken at ~6 PM

Image with an overlay of the field of vision. Orange dots are rods and blue ones are cones

Intermediate output files can be found here.

idx,x_micron,y_micron,pixel_x,pixel_y,cell_type,subtype,response

0,-47.198384506251905,-1246.25,923,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
1,-48.06440991003634,-1246.25,923,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
2,-47.63139720814412,-1247.0,923,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
3,-43.73428289111415,-1246.25,926,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
4,-44.60030829489858,-1246.25,925,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
5,-44.167295593006365,-1247.0,926,0,rod,,0.014759397941521164
2450592,-519.3265671360683,-122.5,560,486,cone,S,10.952780764900806
2450593,-519.9039174052581,-122.5,560,486,cone,M,27.333880265596587
2450594,-520.1925925398529,-123.0,559,486,cone,L,24.607356198177524
2450595,-519.9039174052581,-123.5,560,486,cone,S,10.952780764900806
2450596,-519.3265671360683,-123.5,560,486,cone,M,27.333880265596587
2450597,-519.0378920014736,-123.0,560,486,cone,L,35.590038225972556
2450598,-517.5945163284995,-122.5,561,486,cone,S,7.10038202175422

A sample of the photoreceptor output file is shown above. The response column shows high stimulus activity for those photoreceptors.

Nighttime (rod dominant) conditions

Photo taken at ~11 PM

Image with an overlay of the field of vision. Orange dots are rods and blue ones are cones

Output files can be found here.

idx,x_micron,y_micron,pixel_x,pixel_y,cell_type,subtype,response

0,-48.93043531382078,-1246.25,2744,3,rod,,0.0
1,-49.796460717605214,-1246.25,2742,3,rod,,0.0
2,-49.363448015713,-1247.0,2743,1,rod,,0.0
3,-40.2701812759764,-1246.25,2763,3,rod,,0.0
4,-41.13620667976083,-1246.25,2761,3,rod,,0.0
5,-40.703193977868615,-1247.0,2762,1,rod,,0.0
2912055,186.48413694824913,-4.0,3282,2135,cone,S,0.2260931779494748
2912056,185.90678667905948,-4.0,3281,2135,cone,M,0.7150012489333931
2912057,185.61811154446468,-4.5,3280,2134,cone,L,0.938112123998069
2912058,185.90678667905948,-5.0,3281,2133,cone,S,0.15678359931852023
2912059,186.48413694824913,-5.0,3282,2133,cone,M,0.34928243593530567
2912060,186.77281208284396,-4.5,3283,2134,cone,L,0.5999677118408309
2912061,188.21618775581797,-4.0,3286,2135,cone,S,0.13636902852408356
2912062,187.63883748662838,-4.0,3285,2135,cone,M,0.40157034245504236
2912063,187.35016235203355,-4.5,3284,2134,cone,L,0.5268774109934812

A sample of the photoreceptor output file is shown above. The response column shows low stimulus activity for those photoreceptors.

How does this implementation help?

This implementation provides a biologically grounded framework to validate neuromorphic hardware, spiking algorithms; and acts as the essential bridge between sensory and higher cortex functions in cognitive computing. However, the primary goal of these components is to supplement the rest of the Beads architecture, by providing high fidelity stimulus for nuanced thought processing and cognitive functions like creativity, language and reasoning.

Algorithms / Development

CMU Development

Minor tweaks across the CMU and cortex, to streamline cell methods into distinct cell creation, organization and functioning. Please find the changes in the commits (linked below for reference).

Development Activity - https://github.com/akhil-reddy/beads/graphs/commit-activity

Please note that some code (class templates, function comments, etc) is AI generated, so that I spend more of my productive time thinking and designing. However, I cross-verify each block of generated code with its corresponding design choice before moving ahead.

Next Steps

Deployment

  1. Code optimization for channel processing
  2. Post processing in the visual cortex
  3. Overlaying audio clips onto the cochlea, including optimization for wave segment processing
  4. Post processing in the auditory cortex
  5. Parallelization / streaming of cellular events via Flink or equivalent

Building the Environmental Response System (ERS)

  1. Building the ERUs
  2. Neurotransmitters - Fed by vision’s bipolar and amacrine cells, for example, to act on contrasting and/or temporal stimulus
  3. Focus - Building focus and its supporting mechanisms (of which acetylcholine is one)
Created Nov 30, 2025