Brains Are Not Computers: Celebrating the Achievements of Robert Kozma

In this article, we provide an overview of Dr. Robert Kozma's accomplishments, based on essays by leading experts in various areas related to his research, covering mathematical, computational, and cognitive aspects of his neurodynamics modeling and applications in biologically inspired autonomous systems and robotics. Specific contributions are given by Dr. Miklós Ruszinkó (the Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) on mathematical and graph theoretical aspects of brain modeling, detailing Dr. Kozma's work, which is now known as neuropercolation. This is followed by recollections from Dr. Roman Ilin [U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB)], a former student of Dr. Kozma's, on computational models of spatiotemporal neurodynamics, and the work Dr. Kozma has made jointly with the late, world-renowned Prof. Walter J. Freeman [University of California (UC), Berkeley] and his students in a field now called Freeman K Katchalsky-sets. Dr. Edward Tunstel [the United Technologies Robotics Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Connecticut] provides an overview of biologically inspired robotics and several unique applications Dr. Kozma has made in this field together with colleagues from NASA Robotics. Dr. Bernard Baars (Society of Brain-Mind Sciences, La Jolla, California) contributes a cognitive scientist?s perspective on Dr. Kozma's work with an emphasis on implications of understanding and modeling consciousness. We believe this multiperspective overview provides an insight into the truly interdisciplinary character of Dr. Kozma's remarkable research achievements.