An insect-inspired, decentralized memory for robot navigation

Abstract

Navigation in animals is often discussed to require a 'cognitive map'. Here we propose an artificial neural system that consists of a network allowing for both path integration and landmark guidance. This network is able to describe experiments with desert ants and honey bees, the latter eventually interpreted as to show the existence of a cognitive map. In contrast, our network represents a decentralized system containing procedural memory elements and a motivation network, but no "central control room" or "global neural workspace". Its output can directly be used to control the forward movement of a robot. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.