This repository contains the code used in our CS 5824/ ECE 5424 project: Spiking Neural Networks for Image Classification.

The goal of this project was to create several spiking neural network models using Diehl and Cook's (2015) architecure to benchmark their accuracy when classifying images from the MNIST dataset. The models created utilized various encoding schemes, neuron models, and learning rules to perform this task.

• ./models
  • Directory that contains the ann_models.py file where the 784-100 artificial neural network model is defined
  • Directory also contains the snn_models.py file where various versions of the 784-100 spiking neural network model are defined
• ./networks
  • Directory that contains the generated SNNs used to perform the classification task. Each model name has the encoding scheme, neuron model, and learning rule used to train it.
• ./data
  • Directory that contains the downloaded MNIST training and testing data
• ./documentation
  • Directory that contains Jupyter Notebooks to document our process of learning the BindsNET framework
  • The BindsNET_Network_Demo.ipynb notebook provides details about how to construct a network in BindsNET used
  • The BindsNET_Encoder_Demo.ipynb notebook provides information about various encoding schemes used
  • The BindsNET_Neuron_Demo.ipynb notebook provides details about various neuron models used
  • The BindsNET_Learning_Demo.ipynb notebook provides information about various learning rules used
• ann_benchmark.py
  • Python file used to benchmark the performance of the 784-100 artificial neural network using stoachstic gradient descent
• snn_benchmark.py
  • Python file used to benchmark the performance of the 784-100 various spiking neural networks
• snn_benchmark.sh
  • Bash script used to benchmark all of the different variations of the 784-100 spiking neural network

Several external packages need to be installed in order for this project to run successfully. Each of these packages is noted below.

NumPy is a mature and powerful scientific computing package created by Travis Oliphant in 2005. NumPy enables users to perform complex matrix computations in python and serves as a base for the other packages used in this project.

To install numpy, use the following command: pip install numpy

PyTorch is a machine learning framework that provides easy to use modules for creating and evaluating artificial neural networks (ANNs).

To install PyTorch, use the following command: pip install torch torchvision

BindsNET is a framework developed by Hazan et al. (2018) that provides a streamlined way to construct and evaluate spiking neural networks (SNNs). It uses some of the foundational classes provided in PyTorch in order to provide consistency with the older framework.

To install BindsNet, use the following command: pip install git+https://github.com/BindsNET/bindsnet.git

The snn_benchmark.py script is used to run one of the spiking neural network variations. It takes three arguments that specify the encoding scheme, neural model and learning rule to be used for training the network.

Usage: python snn_benchmark.py --encoding [Poisson | Bernoulli | RankOrder] --neuron_model [IF | LIF | SRM0 | DiehlAndCook] --update_rule [PostPre | WeightDependentPostPre | Hebbian]

The snn_benchmark.sh script is used to run all of the SNN model variations.

Usage: bash snn_benchmark.sh

The ann_benchmark.py script is used to run the artificial neural network (trained using stochastic gradient descent).

Usage: python ann_benchmark.py

• Osaze Shears (email)
• Ahmadhossein Yazdani (email)

Diehl, P. U., & Cook, M. (2015). Unsupervised learning of digit recognition using spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Frontiers in computational neuroscience, 9, 99.

Paszke, A., Gross, S., Massa, F., Lerer, A., Bradbury, J., Chanan, G., ... & Desmaison, A. (2019). Pytorch: An imperative style, high-performance deep learning library. In Advances in neural information processing systems (pp. 8026-8037).

Hazan, H., Saunders, D. J., Khan, H., Patel, D., Sanghavi, D. T., Siegelmann, H. T., & Kozma, R. (2018). Bindsnet: A machine learning-oriented spiking neural networks library in python. Frontiers in neuroinformatics, 12, 89.