Tonic: Building the PyTorch Vision of Neuromorphic Data Loading

Discover how Tonic provides a PyTorch-compatible framework for loading and transforming neuromorphic datasets, making event-based data as accessible as traditional computer vision datasets.

Neuromorphic computing presents unique challenges when it comes to data handling and preprocessing. Unlike traditional computer vision datasets with static images, neuromorphic systems generate dynamic, event-based data streams that require specialized tools for efficient loading, transformation, and analysis.

This talk introduces Tonic, a Python package designed to bridge this gap by providing a PyTorch-compatible interface for neuromorphic datasets. Tonic enables researchers to work with event-based data using familiar PyTorch/Jax/Tensorflow patterns while offering specialized transformations and optimizations for neuromorphic applications.

The presentation will cover Tonic’s architecture, its integration with the broader PyTorch ecosystem, and practical examples of how it simplifies working with neuromorphic datasets. We’ll explore how Tonic handles various data formats, provides efficient caching mechanisms, and enables seamless batch processing of event streams.

Contents of the talk:

  • Introduction to neuromorphic data challenges and requirements
  • Overview of Tonic’s PyTorch-compatible design philosophy
  • Dataset loading and transformation workflows
  • Community contributions and future roadmap
  • Q&A session

Date: September 29, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM CEST
Host: Gregor Lenz

Learn more about Tonic at the Tonic software page.

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About the Authors

Gregor Lenz

Gregor Lenz

Co-Founder & CTO at Neurobus, PhD in neuromorphic engineering. Focuses on event cameras, SNNs, and open-source software. Maintains Tonic & Expelliarmus.
Jens E. Pedersen

Jens E. Pedersen

Doctoral student at KTH, modeling neuromorphic systems to solve real-world challenges. Maintainer of Norse, AEStream, Faery, and co-author of NIR.

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