Doppler Frequency-Shift Information Processing in WOx-Based Memristive Synapse for Auditory Motion Perception

Auditory motion perception is one crucial capability to decode and discriminate the spatiotemporal information for neuromorphic auditory systems. Doppler frequency-shift feature and interaural time difference (ITD) are two fundamental cues of auditory information processing. In this work, the functions of azimuth detection and velocity detection, as the typical auditory motion perception, are demonstrated in a WOx-based memristive synapse. The WOx memristor presents both the volatile mode (M1) and semi-nonvolatile mode (M2), which are capable of implementing the high-pass filtering and processing the spike trains with a relative timing and frequency shift. In particular, the Doppler frequency-shift information processing for velocity detection is emulated in the WOx memristor based auditory system for the first time, which relies on a scheme of triplet spike-timing-dependent-plasticity in the memristor. These results provide new opportunities for the mimicry of auditory motion perception and enable the auditory sensory system to be applied in future neuromorphic sensing.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the functions of azimuth detection and velocity detection in a WOx-based memristive synapse, which mimics auditory motion perception in neuromorphic auditory systems. The WOx memristor with both volatile and semi-nonvolatile modes enables high-pass filtering and spike train processing with relative timing and frequency shift. Particularly, the emulation of Doppler frequency-shift information processing for velocity detection in the WOx memristor-based auditory system is achieved through triplet spike-timing-dependent-plasticity. These findings open new possibilities for the mimicry of auditory motion perception and the application of auditory sensory systems in future neuromorphic sensing.