Sensorimotor Representation of Space: Application in Autonomous Systems and in a Wayfinding Assistant for Alzheimer's Disease

We are interested in a bio-inspired representation of space that can be used for the design of autonomous systems and assistive devices. Experiments with subjects navigating in physically impossible environments indicate that the basic human representation of space cannot be map-like. Rather, it seems to be sensori motor in nature, combining sensory features with motor actions. We argue that such a sensori motor representation is important for the design of artificial systems that have to deal with spatial data. Here we demonstrate that this refers to both autonomous systems for spatial exploration and navigation and to systems for human assistance, in particular a navigation assistance and training system for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disorientation and getting lost behavior are early signs of AD in most patients. The proposed system will focus on cognitive deficits associated with the disease by using and training skills that are still likely to be intact in the individual person. By means of guiding the attention to salient and autobiographically important landmarks, and practicing routes between them, the system will help to build up and train a more resilient sensori-motor representation. The user interface focuses on combining the visual scenes of the incorporated landmarks with a simplified map of the surrounding area.