Neuromorphic and Brain-Based Robots

Neuromorphic and brain-based robotics have enormous potential for furthering our understanding of the brain. By embodying models of the brain on robotic platforms, researchers can investigate the roots of biological intelligence and work towards the development of truly intelligent machines. This book provides a broad introduction to this groundbreaking area for researchers from a wide range of fields, from engineering to neuroscience. Case studies explore how robots are being used in current research, including a whisker system that allows a robot to sense its environment and neurally inspired navigation systems that show impressive mapping results. Looking to the future, several chapters consider the development of cognitive, or even conscious robots that display the adaptability and intelligence of biological organisms. Finally, the ethical implications of intelligent robots are explored, from morality and Asimov's three laws to the question of whether robots have rights.

Jeffrey L. Krichmar is an Associate Professor in the Department df Cognitive Sciences and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. His research interests include neurorobotics, embodied cognition, biologically plausible models of learning and memory, and the effect of neural architecture on neural function. Hiroaki Wagatsuma is an Associate Professor in the Department of Brain Science and Engineering at Kyushu Institute of Technology (KYUTECH) in Japan. His research interests include theoretical modeling of brain oscillations, the memory integration process of experienced episodes, and the implementation of oscillatory neural networks into neurorobotics.