Wednesday, May 23, 2018

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Many of the capabilities enabled by Deep Learning (DL) methods, such as facial recognition, natural language processing, object recognition and more, can be extremely useful in robotic systems. Unfortunately, these systems can be computationally constrained and limited by their reliance on servers or the cloud. In addition, it is difficult to update traditional DL models running on edge devices in anything close to real time, making the systems less effective than they could be.

In this session, Heather Ames Versace, Co-founder and COO of Neurala, will describe how breakthrough deep learning neural network software inspired by biological systems can overcome these challenges, and in the process increase the intelligence, functionality, and security of edge devices including drones, automobiles, mobile robots, smart devices and more.

Heather Ames Versace, Co-founder and COO, Neurala

Dr. Heather Ames Versace is Neurala’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer. As COO, she contributes diverse executive skills ranging from oversight of multi-million dollar applied research initiatives, strategic planning, product management, and leading translation of research into commercial products. Versace has spoken at TechCrunch and Forrester and was honored at the Google headquarters as being one of the Top 10 Women in Cloud emerging technology. Heather has served as the Executive Director of the NSF-sponsored CELEST Science of Learning Center at Boston University. She holds a PhD in Cognitive and Neural Systems from Boston University and a BS in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of California at Berkeley, making her one of the few C-level executives in artificial intelligence with a technical degree.