Essential Science: Neuroscience is aiding selfdriving cars

There are many projects underway to attempt to improve the navigation of self-driving vehicles. The answer to improved navigation could rest with neuroscience, in the form of special ‘mapping’ brain cells. Improvements to autonomous cars, and robots with navigational systems designed to undertake location missions, could come down to the seemingly unlikely combination of rats, a box of Froot Loops, and a team of neuroscientists from Boston University. Smart rats, smart cars The study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, is seeking a better understanding of the brain’s navigational system and then to apply this knowledge to develop smarter autonomous vehicles. The idea is to design a vehicle (or robot) navigation system that is capable of moving around obstacles as well as any living organisms. File photo: Delphi took their self-driving Audi SQ5 on a 3400 mile road-trip across the US File photo: Delphi took their self-driving Audi SQ5 on a 3400 mile road-trip across the US Delphi The researchers have found specialized brain cells which give rats a form of ‘personal map’ of their surroundings. It is quite probable that human brains possess the neurons as well, although this needs to be established by further study. Google map of the brain The research is based on exploring the hippocampus . Humans (and rats) have two hippocampi, and these form the limbic system, helping with the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory. This part of the brain is also important for the spatial memory that enables navigation. Google Maps now lets you save areas for offline viewing while still supporting offline directions and navigation. The area in this image consumes around 375MB of space. Google Maps now lets you save areas for offline viewing while still supporting offline directions and navigation. The area in this […]

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