Biological Intelligence for Biomimetic Robots An Introduction to Synthetic Neuroethology

An introduction to how neuroethology can inform the development of robots controlled by synaptic networks instead of algorithms, from a pioneer in biorobotics.

The trait most fundamental to the evolution of animals is the capability to adapt to novel circumstances in unpredictable environments. Recent advances in biomimetics have made it feasible to construct robots modeled on such unsupervised autonomous behavior, and animal models provide a library of existence proofs. Filling an important gap in the field, this introductory textbook illuminates how neurobiological principles can inform the development of robots that are controlled by synaptic networks, as opposed to algorithms. Joseph Ayers provides a comprehensive overview of the sensory and motor systems of a variety of model biological systems and shows how their behaviors may be implemented in artificial systems, such as biomimetic robots. 

• Introduces the concept of biological intelligence as applied to robots, building a strategy for autonomy based on the neuroethology of simple animal models
• Provides a mechanistic physiological framework for the control of innate behavior
• Illustrates how biomimetic vehicles can be operated in the field persistently and adaptively
• Developed by a pioneer in biorobotics with decades of teaching experience
• Proven in the classroom 
• Suitable for professionals and researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students in cognitive science and computer science

Joseph Ayers is Professor of Biology at Northeastern University and conducts his research at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts, where he was Director from 1991 to 2001. His research has been supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Human Frontiers Science Program, and Schlumberger. His RoboLobster has been exhibited in the Cooper-Hewett Smithsonian Museum in New York, the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

Preface vii
1 What is Biological Intelligence? 1
2 Types of Behavior 9
3 Motor Strategies and Biomechanical Advantages for Diverse Environments 17
4 Identified Neurons and Neuroanatomy 25
5 Physiological Models of Neurons 33
6 Nonlinear Dynamical Models of Neurons 71
7 Synaptic Physiology and Networks 79
8 Neuronal Integration 113
9 Neuromodulation and Behavioral States 127
10 Motor Networks and Central Pattern Generators 151
11 Command Neurons 165
12 Coordinating Systems and Gaits 173
13 Sensory Neurons and Sensory Coding 179
14 Physiology of Muscle 195
15 Types of Motor Systems 203
16 Proprioceptive Reflexes 211
17 Spatial Orientation--Taxes, Kineses, and Exteroceptive Reflexes 221
18 Behavioral Choice and Hierarchies 231
19 Behavioral Sequencing 237
20 Biomimetic Robots 247
21 Power Supplies and Charging 255
22 Control Hardware, Morphing Bodies, and Hulls 265
23 Synthetic Biology and Biohybrid Sensors 279
24 Mymorphic Actuators 283
25 Acoustic Communications and Localization 291
26 Supervision and Motivation 297
27 Reactive Autonomy and Adaptive Sequencing 303
28 Stigmergy and Cooperative Behavior 309
29 Biological Intelligence 313
References 319
Index 345