Thinking Systems: Navigating Through Real and Conceptual Spaces
Project Summary
This project brings together a cross-disciplinary, collaborative and cross-institutional team to study fundamental issues in how information is transmitted, received, processed and understood in biological and artificial systems. The core of the project is studying how brains understand spatial systems, both physical and conceptual. This integrated approach is leading to an increased understanding of neural, behavioural and information processing bases of thinking systems. Insights from neurocognitive systems are being used to develop computational models, autonomous robots and intelligent software agents, which in turn are leading to deeper understandings of the relationships between neurocognitive mechanisms and their behaviour in whole systems.
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Thinking Systems Symposium: Brains, Robots and Navigation |
How well do you navigate? Could you get lost on the way to your morning coffee or are you one of the lucky ones who never gets lost? The Thinking Systems project studies which parts of your brain help you find your way (among many other things), and are developing new technologies, including robots that create their own maps inspired by biology.
The Thinking Systems research team will present a day of exciting findings from the last 4 years. Hear about how neuroscientists and engineers have been working together to study the amazing abilities of big and small brains, from honeybees to humans, and rats to robots. You will hear about virtual reality worlds for studying bee flight and human navigation, how rats and robots use place cells to navigate, and how navigation is inspiring new ways to understand complex thinking.