A model for auditory localization in robotic systems based on the neurobiology of the inferior colliculus and analysis of HRTF data

The inferior colliculus (IC) is a midbrain structure containing a multitude of sensory related afferent (input) connections. In particular, there are ascending auditory inputs from both the lateral superior olive (LSO) and the medial superior olive (MSO) brainstem complexes representing binaural (both ears) amplitude difference and time difference of arrival signals respectively. There are also efferent (output) connections directly from the IC to the deeper layers of the superior colliculus (SC). The SC is involved in the generation of ocular motor signals for saccadic (quick, high velocity, involuntary) eye movement. This neurobiological evidence, along with a generalized Hough transform like approach for interpreting quantitative head related transfer function (HRTF) data, are; utilized in creating a model for IC auditory binaural processing for the purpose of sound localization. It is important to note we are not attempting an exact neurobiological equivalent function. We are using anatomical knowledge as a motivation for our model architecture.