A Systems View of a Neuromorphic VLSI Echolocation System

Echolocating bats have long demonstrated the potential for air-coupled sonar to guide agile navigation through complex 3D environments. While air-coupled sonar has been extensively used in mobile ground robotics and a considerable amount of the bat's auditory system has been studied, little work has been done to understand how the neural circuitry of the bat can integrate echoes into a coherent, behaving system. This paper addresses the unique characteristics of bat echolocation and how they impact the design of a neuromorphic VLSI-based echolocation system. By constructing a system to solve bat-specific sensorimotor tasks we have encountered a number of interesting issues and questions that commonly face neuromorphic VLSI designers. Successes, problematic issues, and future directions are discussed.