Robust localization of auditory and visual targets in a robotic barn owl

Abstract

In the last two decades, the barn owl, a nocturnal predator with accurate visual and auditory capabilities, has become a common experimental system for neuroscientists investigating the biological substrate of spatial localization and orienting behavior. As a result, much data are now available regarding the anatomy and physiology of many neural structures involved in such processes. On the basis of this growing body of knowledge, we have recently built a computer model that incorporates detailed replicas of several important neural structures participating in the production of orienting behavior. In order to expose this model to sensorimotor and environmental conditions similar to those experienced by a barn owl, the computer simulations of the neural structures were coupled to a robot emulating the head of a barn owl, which was presented with auditory and visual stimulation. By using this system we have performed a number of studies on the mechanisms underlying the barn owl’s calibration of orienting behavior and accurate localization of auditory targets in noisy environments. In this paper we review the main results that have emerged from this line of research. This work provides a concrete example of how, by coupling computer simulations of brain structures with robotic systems, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the basic principles of biological systems while producing robust and flexible control of robots operating in the real world.