EBRAINS researchers create educational tool to bring neural dynamics to the public

Lu.i, a palm-sized electronic implementation of the leaky-integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron model, offers an interactive way to explore neural dynamics and brain-inspired computing. The tool was developed by EBRAINS researchers at the Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics (Heidelberg University) and the University of Bern, with both outreach and education in mind. The results were recently published in Trends in Neuroscience and Education. 

Neuroscience education has lacked tangible demonstrators to illustrate these concepts, even as the field grows in importance in modern science. The increasing expectation for educators to communicate research highlights the need for interactive tools like this one. 

Lu.i allows users to visualise how neurons receive, integrate, and transmit electrical signals. The device is designed to be affordable, easy to use, and capable of forming simple spiking neural networks (SNNs) through current-based synaptic inputs. It offers control over parameters such as time constants and synaptic weights.  

It was designed to illustrate two key aspects of biological neurons: the spatio-temporal accumulation of input – or how they collect and combine signals over time – and event-based communication – or how they send out signals only when enough input has built up. Both processes are captured by the leaky-integrate-and-fire model, which is a simplified description of how neurons behave.  

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The device provides a hands-on experience, letting users interact with a physical model of neural activity. Its printed circuit board displays changes in membrane potential and also interfaces with digital and analogue peripherals for advanced experiments.  

The team has been receiving positive feedback at conferences. “We loved Lu.i at the NICE conference! It’s so funny how we have such large-scale neuromorphic systems now but they are so abstracted out that they don't give you this feel!", Melika Payvand, assistant professor at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, commented on social media. 

Lu.i helps to bridge fundamental neuroscience concepts and fields like neuromorphic engineering, which seeks to develop computing systems inspired by the brain. It has been welcomed at various conferences and workshops, leading to adoption by teachers and tutors in classrooms, with enthusiastic responses.    

Read the paper: 
Lu.i – A low-cost electronic neuron for education and outreach 
Yannik Stradmann, Julian Göltz, Mihai A. Petrovici, Johannes Schemmel, Sebastian Billaudelle  
Trends in Neuroscience and Education, Volume 38, 2025.