Biological Intelligence for Biomimetic Robots: An Introduction to Synthetic Neuroethology

(Hardback)

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An introduction to how neuroethology can inform the development of robots controlled by synaptic networks instead of algorithms, from a pioneer in biorobotics. The trait most fundamental to the evolution of animals is the capability to adapt to novel circumstances in unpredictable environments. Recent advances in biomimetics have made it feasible to construct robots modeled on such unsupervised autonomous behavior, and animal models provide a library of existence proofs. Filling an important gap in the field, this introductory textbook illuminates how neurobiological principles can inform the development of robots that are controlled by synaptic networks, as opposed to algorithms. Joseph Ayers provides a comprehensive overview of the sensory and motor systems of a variety of model biological systems and shows how their behaviors may be implemented in artificial systems, such as biomimetic robots. Introduces the concept of biological intelligence as applied to robots, building a strategy for autonomy based on the neuroethology of simple animal modelsProvides a mechanistic physiological framework for the control of innate behaviorIllustrates how biomimetic vehicles can be operated in the field persistently and adaptivelyDeveloped by a pioneer in biorobotics with decades of teaching experienceProven in the classroom Suitable for professionals and researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students in cognitive science and computer science

Author Bio

Joseph Ayers is Professor of Biology at Northeastern University and conducts his research at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts, where he was Director from 1991 to 2001. His research has been supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Human Frontiers Science Program, and Schlumberger. His RoboLobster has been exhibited in the Cooper-Hewett Smithsonian Museum in New York, the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.