Earlier this year IBM unveiled its TrueNorth computer chip, a piece of processing technology that took an estimated six years to create, and is designed to work much like a human brain. It contains roughly 4 096 computing cores to deliver 16 times more programmable neurons than the largest neuromorphic chips around, according to IBM. Clearly powerful in terms of its computational capabilities, Samsung has used TrueNorth in its latest experiment to create a digital eye of sorts. 

Dubbed the Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS), it's able to process visual images far more intuitively than a normal camera, says Samsung. Each pixel of the Sensor only delivers information to the software aiding the system when it notices a visual change. The result of this is a digital eye that can keep track of up to 2000 frames of video per second. To put that in perspective, a typical digital camera can handle an estimated 120 fps.

Samsung demoed its DVS system at an IBM press event recently, using it to recognise a number of hand gestures, with CNET noting that it picked up on "hand waves, finger waves, closed fists and finger pinches." 

The endgame for such technology was not fully detailed, but Samsung believes it could have applications in the creation of 3D maps or self-driving cars' ability to react to things on the road, expressed Samsung. One other area of possible use is drone technology, with a DVS system making unmanned aircraft smarter in identifying objects. 

For now, Samsung's DVS is the only area where we've seen TrueNorth put to work, but it will no doubt be the last.