Legacy software overview

The software described on this page is legacy software that is no longer supported or maintained by Numenta. The software is based on prototype HTM algorithms that differ in significant respects from the algorithms we are currently working on. We expect to release software based on the newer algorithms in 2011.

Numenta software falls into two categories --

NuPIC (Numenta Platform for Intelligent Computing)

NuPIC is a software development platform that provides tools to create, train and test your own HTM system from scratch. Using NuPIC requires computer programming skills.

Vision software

Computer vision is one application of HTM. Our vision software includes demonstration programs, including a web-based demonstration, that show how HTMs can be used to classify images, and an application that allows non-programmers to train an HTM to recognize images.


NuPIC overview

NuPIC, the Numenta Platform for Intelligent Computing, is a software development platform that provides tools to create, train, test and deploy HTMs. Version 1.7.1 is available at no cost for experimentation and research, but not for commercial deployment. Released in 2009, NuPIC 1.7.1 implements early prototype HTM algorithms and is not actively supported.

Numenta is currently developing new software which will incorporate our next generation of algorithms.

What's in NuPIC

The 1.7.1 release of NuPIC contains the following components:

  • Numenta Runtime Engine. This component is the core of NuPIC, and can run and control an HTM network.
  • NuPIC Tools. This component is a set of Python APIs that interact with the Runtime Engine and allow you to create, train and test HTM networks.
  • Examples. The examples show how to use the Tools API.
  • Vision Framework. This component is a high level Python API specifically for creating, training and testing networks for Vision applications. The Vision Framework is built on top of the Tools APIs.

Where to start

  • If you have a specific application area in mind, make sure that HTM is a good fit for your problem. Suggested readings are
  • Download and install NuPIC. Instructions are on the NuPIC installation page.
  • If your application involves images, become familiar with the Vision Toolkit and the Vision Framework Guide (located in /share/vision in the NuPIC release).
  • If you're going to be using the Tools API, read through the "Getting Started Guide" located on the NuPIC documentation page.
  • For information on licensing, read the Licensing page.

Vision software overview

Although Numenta's HTM technology is applicable to many types of sensory data, we initially focused some of our early work on computer vision applications because there are many hard problems to be solved, and because testing and benchmarking are more easily done. We have created several vision demos and applications that are easy to use, enabling non-programmers to experiment with HTM technology. We have released these tools at no charge under a research-only license.

Numenta is not currently working on applying the newer HTM algorithms to vision problems.

Vision demo applications

The following demo applications are available for download without registration.

  • People tracking demo
    This application demonstrates tracking people and moving objects in video files.

Creating your own vision system

  • Vision Toolkit
    The Vision Toolkit is an image recognition application that allows you to train an HTM network with your own images.

Numenta Web Services

The Web Services and Sample Vision Networks pages are no longer available.