The human brain must cope with a large variety of information simultaneously so we can orientate ourselves in our environment and make quick decisions. How exactly it processes the gigantic data stream provided by our sense organs has still not been fully researched. For a deeper understanding of how the brain works, scientists at Kiel University’s Faculty of Engineering attempt to imitate this biological processing of information technically. Their goal is to develop electronic circuits with cognitive abilities, modelled on neural networks. Now, using the example of optical illusions, the researchers have demonstrated how processes of perception can be copied in an electronic circuit made of nanoelectronic components. Their results have been published in the scientific journal Science Advances.