Organoid Cytomorphic Intelligence Resulting from Convergent Understanding and Information Transfer (O-Circuit)

Background
The O-Circuit program, initiated by the Department of War (DoW), aims to address the challenges of deploying semiconductor-based computation in austere environments, particularly for advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning applications that require high energy.

The program seeks to explore unconventional computing concepts, such as synthetic biological intelligence, to enhance the learning, inference, and computational memory of neural tissue systems. The goal is to develop an integrated biological processing unit (BPU) that can facilitate a new paradigm for sense-compute-act operations in edge applications.

Work Details
The contract involves several key tasks and services:
- Development of BPU architectures that provide significant computational learning and memory capabilities (TA1).
- Integration of BPUs with odorant sensory arrays and drone navigation systems to enhance multiplexed odorant detection capabilities and chemotaxis (TA2).
- Exploration of new BPU architectures during Phase 1, focusing on quantifying their capacity for computational learning and memory.
- Refinement of BPU systems in Phase 2 to improve performance metrics such as learning efficiency and memory duration for TA1, and detection accuracy for TA2.
- Collaboration between TA1 and TA2 performers to identify teaming strategies for a comprehensive Phase 3 effort that integrates both components into a cohesive Sense-Compute-Action system.
- Ethical considerations must be included in proposals, addressing potential bioethics concerns related to biological computation advancements.

Period of Performance
The contract will be executed over a total period of 32 months, divided into Phase 1 lasting 18 months and Phase 2 lasting 14 months.

Place of Performance
The geographic locations for the performance of this contract are not explicitly provided in the solicitation.