The model is able to reproduce the results obtained with real rats and generates a set of empirically verifiable predictions.

This pioneering book describes the development of a robot mapping and navigation system inspired by models of the neural mechanisms underlying spatial navigation in the rodent hippocampus. Computational models of animal navigation systems have traditionally had limited performance when implemented on robots. This is the first research to test existing models of rodent spatial mapping and navigation on robots in large, challenging, real world environments.

This important work is an attempt to synthesize two areas that need to be treated in tandem. The book brings together the fields of robot spatial mapping and cognitive spatial mapping, which share some common core problems. One would expect some cross-fertilization of research between the two areas to have occurred, yet this has begun only recently. There are now signs that some synthesis is happening, so this work is a timely one for students and engineers in robotics.

Robotic engineering inspired by biology—biomimetics—has many potential applications: robot snakes can be used for rescue operations in disasters, snake-like endoscopes can be used in medical diagnosis, and artificial muscles can replace damaged muscles to recover the motor functions of human limbs. Conversely, the application of robotics technology to our understanding of biological systems and behaviors—biorobotic modeling and analysis—provides unique research opportunities: robotic manipulation technology with optical tweezers can be used to study the cell mechanics of human red blood cells, a surface electromyography sensing system can help us identify the relation between muscle forces and hand movements, and mathematical models of brain circuitry may help us understand how the cerebellum achieves movement control. Biologically Inspired Robotics contains cutting-edge material—considerably expanded and with additional analysis—from the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). These 16 chapters cover both biomimetics and biorobotic modeling/analysis, taking readers through an exploration of biologically inspired robot design and control, micro/nano bio-robotic systems, biological measurement and actuation, and applications of robotics technology to biological problems. Contributors examine a wide range of topics, including: A method for controlling the motion of a robotic snake The design of a bionic fitness cycle inspired by the jaguar The use of autonomous robotic fish to detect pollution A noninvasive brain-activity scanning method using a hybrid sensor A rehabilitation system for recovering motor function in human hands after injury Human-like robotic eye and head movements in human–machine interactions A state-of-the-art resource for graduate students and researchers in the fields of control engineering, robotics, and biomedical engineering, this text helps readers understand the technology and principles in this emerging field.

This pioneering book describes the development of a robot mapping and navigation system inspired by models of the neural mechanisms underlying spatial navigation in the rodent hippocampus. Computational models of animal navigation systems have traditionally had limited performance when implemented on robots. This is the first research to test existing models of rodent spatial mapping and navigation on robots in large, challenging, real world environments.

This book introduces several appearance-based place recognition pipelines based on different mapping techniques for addressing loop-closure detection in mobile platforms with limited computational resources. The motivation behind this book has been the prospect that in many contemporary applications efficient methods are needed that can provide high performance under run-time and memory constraints. Thus, three different mapping techniques for addressing the task of place recognition for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) are presented. The book at hand follows a tutorial-based structure describing each of the main parts needed for a loop-closure detection pipeline to facilitate the newcomers. It mainly goes through a historical review of the problem, focusing on how it was addressed during the years reaching the current age. This way, the reader is initially familiarized with each part while the place recognition paradigms follow.