New development in four-terminal device concept

Summary form only given. Building intelligent electronic systems based on high-functionality device is presented. By "intelligent" we mean such a system that can make a real-time response to events in the real world. Such real-time response of a system is almost impossible and can only be achieved by the sophistication of software running on general purpose computers. Innovations in devices and circuits are demanded. The continuing enhancement in the performance of MPUs is phenomenal. However, severe limitations are now being encountered in terms of power dissipation and the management of very high-frequency clock signals on a chip. Even more difficult problems are arising in the algorithms to solve real-world problems. It is almost impossible to build such an electronic system that can capture an image of the real world by image sensors, analyze the image by image processing algorithms and recognize what is happening, and then take an appropriate action in real time. Sequential computation based on rigorous Boolean algebra is too slow even with MPUs operating beyond 1 GHz. Enhancing the functionality of an elemental device and embedding algorithms at the very bottom device level of a system is essential. The purpose of this paper is to present our strategy to build intelligent electronic systems based on a psychological model of the human brain and utilizing a neuron MOS transistor as a high-functionality four-terminal device.