Bio-inspired Model of Robot Spatial Cognition: Topological Place Recognition and Target Learning

In this paper we present a model designed on the basis of the rat's brain neurophysiology to provide a robot with spatial cognition and goal-oriented navigation capabilities. We describe place representation and recognition processes in rats as the basis for topological map building and exploitation by robots. We experiment with the model by training a robot to find the goal in a maze starting from a fixed location, and by testing it to reach the same target from new different starting locations.