| Robots have long been used in industrial applications, | | | | of the Rats brain based neural navigation system is |
| performing jobs with a higher level of reliability and | | | | the first to emulate the way in which the Rat's grid |
| more cheaply than humans. But truly autonomous | | | | neurons cope with an unfamiliar environment. |
| robotic vehicles, capable of building a map of an | | | | The Rats brain based neural network runs on a |
| unknown area while maintaining accurate position | | | | computer with a webcam providing a video view of |
| information, remain the subject of research. | | | | what's ahead as the vehicle drives around. The neural |
| SLAM or Simultaneous localisation and mapping, is a | | | | network records details of landmarks such as |
| technique used by robots to map an unknown | | | | junctions and buildings along with the direction it is |
| environment while keeping track of their current | | | | facing as it moves around. When it returns to an area |
| position. This is a complex area of robotics research | | | | it is capable of recognising the various landmarks, even |
| which has already found applications in unmanned | | | | from an altered viewpoint. It can confirm its location by |
| aircraft, underwater vehicles and planetary rovers. | | | | referencing other landmarks that had been recently |
| An experimental car, built by Michael Milford and | | | | observed. This information is collated to update its map |
| Gordon Wyeth of the University of Queensland in St | | | | of the area. |
| Lucia, has now successfully mapped a 66 kilometre | | | | Over the past few decades there have been a large |
| road network in a suburb of Brisbane. The car uses a | | | | number of approaches to robotic mapping. These |
| navigational system that has been, in part, based upon | | | | have tended to be metric mapping, which attempt to |
| models of the hippocampal complex in Rodents. i.e. A | | | | represent the geographic properties of an environment, |
| Rat's brain. | | | | and topological mapping which uses information on |
| The heart of the navigational system is a neural | | | | important places (nodes) and how they relate to one |
| network that mimics the way in which a rat will | | | | another. These two approaches have been combined |
| accumulate data to form a mental map of an area as | | | | in more recent hybrid systems. RatSLAM is a hybrid |
| it moves around. It is generally agreed that rats have | | | | approach utilising characteristics of both metric and |
| "place" fields which are patterns of neural activity that | | | | topological mapping. |
| correspond to locations in space. Additional neurons | | | | The latest successful implementation of a neural |
| are responsible for "head direction" and "grid" | | | | network based navigation system looks like it will be |
| information which are responsible for the direction the | | | | the precursor to a generation of truly autonomous |
| animal is facing and familiarity with the environment. | | | | vehicles on our roads. Combine this technology with |
| Neural networks based upon the Rat's brain have | | | | the new, battery powered cars and we can foresee a |
| previously been successfully used to guide robotic | | | | future with our roads full of driver-less, silent delivery |
| vehicles around complex indoor mazes. This system | | | | vehicles capable of finding their way to any destination |
| was known as RatSLAM. The latest implementation | | | | without bumping into anything or getting lost. |