Biology subjects

Steinbeck, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Steinbeck, F..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Familiarity-taxis: A bilateral approach to view-based navigation.

Many insects use view-based navigation, or snapshot matching, to return to familiar locations, or navigate routes. This relies on egocentric memories being matched to current views of the world. Previous snapshot navigation algorithms have used full panoramic vision for the comparison of memorised images with query images to establish a measure of familiarity, which leads to a recovery of the original heading direction from when the snapshot was taken. Many aspects of insect sensory systems are lateralised with steering being derived from the comparison of left and right signals like a classic Braitenberg vehicle. Here we investigate whether view-based route navigation can be implemented using bilateral visual familiarity comparisons. We found that the difference in familiarity between estimates from left and right fields of view can be used as a steering signal to recover the original heading direction. This finding extends across many different sizes of field of view and visual resolutions. In insects, steering computations are implemented in a brain region called the Lateral Accessory Lobe, within the Central Complex. In a simple simulation we show with a SNN model of the LAL an existence proof of how bilateral visual familiarity could drive a search for a visually defined goal.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Production of adaptive movement patterns via an insect inspired Spiking Neural Network Central Pattern Generator.

Navigation in ever-changing environments requires effective motor behaviours. Many insects have developed adaptive movement patterns which increase their success in achieving navigational goals. A conserved brain area in the insect brain, the Lateral Accessory Lobe, is involved in generating small scale search movements which increase the efficacy of sensory sampling. When the reliability of an essential navigational stimulus is low, searching movements are initiated whereas if the stimulus reliability is high, a targeted steering response is elicited. Thus the network mediates an adaptive switching between motor patterns. We developed Spiking Neural Network models to explore how an insect inspired architecture could generate adaptive movements in relation to changing sensory inputs. The models are able to generate a variety of adaptive movement patterns, the majority of which are of the zig-zagging kind, as seen in a variety of insects. Furthermore, these networks are robust to noise. Because a large spread of network parameters lead to the zig-zagging movement dynamics, we conclude that the investigated network architecture is inherently well suited to generating adaptive movement patterns.

animal behavior and cognition↗