In this paper, we investigate the use of ultra low-power, mixed signal analog/digital neuromorphic hardware for implementation of biologically inspired neuronal path integration and map formation for a mobile robot. We perform spiking network simulations of the developed architecture, interfaced to a simulated robotic vehicle. We then port the neuronal map formation architecture on two connected neuromorphic devices, one of which features on-board plasticity, and demonstrate the feasibility of a neuromorphic realization of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM).
In this work, we present a neuromorphic architecture for head pose estimation and scene representation for the humanoid iCub robot. The spiking neuronal network is fully realized in Intel's neuromorphic research chip, Loihi, and precisely integrates the issued motor commands to estimate the iCub's head pose in a neuronal path-integration process. The neuromorphic vision system of the iCub is used to correct for drift in the pose estimation. Positions of objects in front of the robot are memorized using on-chip synaptic plasticity. We present real-time robotic experiments using 2 degrees of freedom (DoF) of the robot's head and show precise path integration, visual reset, and object position learning on-chip. We discuss the requirements for integrating the robotic system and neuromorphic hardware with current technologies.
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