Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers are using the lab’s new Roadrunner petaflop supercomputer to model the human visual system, as a test.

The “PetaVision” simulaton models more than a billion visual neurons, reaching a new computing performance record of 1.144 petaflop/s. Based on the results of these trials, Los Alamos researchers believe they can study the entire human visual cortex in real time.

Applications could include “smart” cameras that can recognize danger, or an autopilot system for automobiles that could take over for incapacitated drivers in complex situations such as navigating dense urban traffic.

See also: Military Supercomputer Sets Record