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The Ant’s Path in Integration System: A Neural Architecture

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Prerational Intelligence: Adaptive Behavior and Intelligent Systems Without Symbols and Logic, Volume 1, Volume 2 Prerational Intelligence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Behavior of Natural and Artificial Systems, Volume 3

Part of the book series: Studies in Cognitive Systems ((COGS,volume 26))

Abstract

A model is developed, by which path integration as observed in many animal species could be implemented neurobiologically. The proposed architecture is able to describe the navigation behaviour of Cataglyphis ants, and that of other social insects, at the level of interacting neurons. The basic idea of this architecture is the concept of activity patterns travelling along neural chains. Although experimental evidence has still to be provided this concept seems biologically plausible and not at all limited to the navigation problem. Neural chains are able to represent variables by activity patterns with high accuracy and temporal stability. Moreover, they are able to integrate incremental signals with high precision. Cyclical chains of neurons show superior performance as soon as cyclical variables are to be represented and integrated. Finally, representation of cyclical variables by travelling activity peaks allows simple approximations of goniometric functions as they are used in path integration systems.

First published in Biological Cybernetics 73, 483–497 (1995).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heinz Nixdorf Institut, Universität Paderborn, Germany

    Georg Hartmann

  2. Institut für Zoologie, Universität Zürich, Switzerland

    Rüdiger Wehner

Authors
  1. Georg Hartmann
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  2. Rüdiger Wehner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Holk Cruse  & Helge Ritter  & 

  2. Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Jeffrey Dean

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Hartmann, G., Wehner, R. (2000). The Ant’s Path in Integration System: A Neural Architecture. In: Cruse, H., Dean, J., Ritter, H. (eds) Prerational Intelligence: Adaptive Behavior and Intelligent Systems Without Symbols and Logic, Volume 1, Volume 2 Prerational Intelligence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Behavior of Natural and Artificial Systems, Volume 3. Studies in Cognitive Systems, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0870-9_55

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0870-9_55

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3792-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0870-9

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