Researchers have created a cluster of virtual ‘human’ cells that has enabled a robot to find its own way around.
The robot managed to navigate using simulated neural cells created by scientists in Singapore.
Reported in MIT Technology Review, the research saw researchers reproducing two types of cells used for navigation in humans and animals – ‘place’ and ‘grid’ cells.
First identified in the 1970s, place cells in mice were found to fire whenever they passed the same spot.
Place cells, confirmed in 2005 and located in a different part of the brain activate when an animal arrives at any location on a triangular grid of points, for a more detailed sense of position.
Working with other types of cells, along with sensory information, grid and place cells are thought to give animals a sense of their surroundings and how they fit into them.
The small, wheeled cyborg was let loose in a 35 square metre office space and able to roam around while the scientists studied how its artificial cells functioned.
They noted that the artificial place and grid cells worked in a similar way to their biological counterparts.
The simulated neural cells were recreated using a two-dimensional software model, rather than being physically produced.
The robot’s navigational prowess is important because it shows the potential for machines that are able to mimic complex activity in the human brain.
As well as providing a more efficient way for robots to navigate and move around, the research could also allow neuroscientists further insight into how the human brain’s navigational system works.
Image credit: F1 Online/REX Shutterstock
H/T: Wired

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