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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Applying Spiking Neural Network Simulation To Neuromodulatory Autonomous Robot Control, Cameron Muhammad Jan 2014

Applying Spiking Neural Network Simulation To Neuromodulatory Autonomous Robot Control, Cameron Muhammad

Phi Kappa Phi Research Symposium (2012-2016)

In this paper, simulation of the brain based on an artificial spiking neuron model is used to create a self-learning algorithm. The spiking neuron simulation is used to demonstrate a neuromodulation program in which the reward seeking properties of dopamine, the risk-adverse effects of serotonin, and the attention-focusing effects of the cholinergic and noradrenergic systems are applied to a mobile robotic platform as it moves autonomously throughout an environment. External stimuli is recorded by the program as spiking “events” that result in corresponding amounts of dopamine and serotonin influenced spiking patterns. These spiking patterns affect how the robot adapts to …


Neuromodulation Based Control Of Autonomous Robots On A Cloud Computing Platform, Cameron Muhammad Jan 2014

Neuromodulation Based Control Of Autonomous Robots On A Cloud Computing Platform, Cameron Muhammad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the advancement of neurobiologically plausible models and computer networking has resulted in new ways of implementing control systems on robotic platforms. The work presents a control approach based on vertebrate neuromodulation and its implementation on autonomous robots in the open-source, open-access environment of robot operating system (ROS). A spiking neural network (SNN) is used to model the neuromodulatory function for generating context based behavioral responses of the robots to sensory input signals. The neural network incorporates three types of neurons- cholinergic and noradrenergic (ACh/NE) neurons for attention focusing and action selection, dopaminergic (DA) neurons for rewards- and …