- Abstract:
-
A general problem in understanding the mechanisms underlying animal behaviour is the integration or interaction of different sensorimotor systems. In Webb & Harrison (2000a,2000b) we investigated the addition of an optomotor reflex to a sound-localising robot modelled on cricket behaviour. Bhm et al. (1991) proposed a simple additive mechanism to explain how the cricket combines the two behaviours. Problems implementing this on the robot led us to propose an alternative inhibition mechanism, which proved effective. Here we directly compare these two possibilities and several further alternatives. First, in a simulation of the open-loop paradigm used by Bhm et al we demonstrate that there are at least five algorithms (including 'efferent copy') that may adequately account for the data they present. We then consider possible neural implementations of several of these schemes, and test them in robot experiments. The results suggest that inhibition is both neurally plausible and effective as a means of combining these behaviours in real sensorimotor situations.
- Links To Paper
- pdf preprint
- Bibtex format
- @Article{EDI-INF-RR-0434,
- author = {
Barbara Webb
and Richard Reeve
},
- title = {Reafferent or redundant: How should a robot cricket use an optomotor reflex?},
- journal = {Adaptive Behaviour},
- publisher = {SAGE},
- year = 2003,
- volume = {11},
- pages = {137-158},
- doi = {DOI: 10.1177/1059712303113001},
- url = {http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/bwebb/publications/webb_and_reeve.pdf},
- }
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