Collective brain research system developed to identify group intelligence

Researchers at two state-funded institutions have developed a system that analyzes the brains of animals living in groups to identify group intelligence .

The Collective Brain Research by Illuminating Neural Activity (CBRAIN) system integrates processors and LEDs that detect brain signals in real-time.

The system, also recognized as See-Brain, drew inspiration from the simultaneous flickering of fireflies, which detect the real-time signal to flash LED lights like fireflies. Through this, researchers can see the emotions and thoughts from the brains of animals live.

Doctor Choi Jee-hyun at KIST and Dr. Lee Sung-kyu at ETRI led the development of CBRAIN, an analytical system observing animals’ collective intelligence. (KIST)

The research system was the result of the joint efforts of researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) led by Dr. Choi Jee-hyun, and a research team at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), headed by Dr. Lee Sung-kyu, KIST said in a press release on Friday.

The brainwave of mice confronting a robot spider indicated in LED light.

The researchers studied how groups of mice reacted in front of a spider-model robot bigger than mice to grasp animals' group behavior. They analyzed the difference between the confrontations when facing the spider robot alone and when facing the robot together, using deep learning after letting a light flash at the alarming signal that occurs in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), where emotions are formed.

As a result, they found that the LED lights of the CBRAIN system flickered simultaneously, and among the group of eight mice, the light frequency fell compared with the light attached to a single mouse. The mice outside the group's boundary showed strong alarming signals, and those within the group showed a signal not different from when it was calm. The team concluded that a social buffer effect reduces the alert signals, relieves tension, and provides a role-sharing for efficient defense for the group.

“The CBRAIN system demonstrates brain signals as a spark of light, which can be applied to other fields, such as ecology, statistics and artificial intelligence,” Dr. Choi said. “We expect it to contribute to other areas of research.”

The study results were published in the latest issue of Science Advances.