Abstract
Animals in their ecological context behave not only in response to external events, such as opportunities and threats but also according to their internal needs. As a result, the survival of the organism is achieved through regulatory behaviour. Although homeostatic and allostatic principles play an important role in such behaviour, how an animal’s brain implements these principles is not fully understood yet. In this paper, we propose a new model of regulatory behaviour inspired by the functioning of the medial Reticular Formation (mRF). This structure is spread throughout the brainstem and has shown generalized Central Nervous System (CNS) arousal control and fundamental action-selection properties. We propose that a model based on the mRF allows the flexibility needed to be implemented in diverse domains, while it would allow integration of other components such as place cells to enrich the agent’s performance. Such a model will be implemented in a mobile robot that will navigate replicating the behaviour of the sand-diving lizard, a benchmark for regulatory behaviour.
Highlights
The natural behaviour of animals reflects how these organisms fully adapt to their different and unique environments
When the actual value (aV) is outside the desired value (dV) range (0.70 – 0.30), the agent exhibits the regulatory behaviour associated with this need
Fiducials are presented in front of the robot representing water or food, so the robot can autonomously perform an approach behaviour based on its internal needs (Fig. 5)
Summary
The natural behaviour of animals reflects how these organisms fully adapt to their different and unique environments. Their complex behavioural repertoires are the result of learning and evolution; they are dependent on the animal’s internal needs and the occurrence of events in their ecological context. The desert lizard can regulate its body heat by diving beneath the sand towards cooler areas. When surface temperature is around 30oC, the sand-diving lizard emerges from the sand to increment its body heat by pressing its ventral surface against the substrate. When the temperature rises above 40oC, the lizard dives again approximately seven centimeters beneath the sand, to spend there the warmer period of the day
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
