NMC4 Short Talk: Brain-inspired spiking neural network controller for a neurorobotic whisker system

Event Information

Recording

Available

Host

Neuromatch 4

Duration

15 minutes

Abstract

It is common for animals to use self-generated movements to actively sense the surrounding environment. For instance, rodents rhythmically move their whiskers to explore the space close to their body. The mouse whisker system has become a standard model to study active sensing and sensorimotor integration through feedback loops. In this work, we developed a bioinspired spiking neural network model of the sensorimotor peripheral whisker system, modelling trigeminal ganglion, trigeminal nuclei, facial nuclei, and central pattern generator neuronal populations. This network was embedded in a virtual mouse robot, exploiting the Neurorobotics Platform, a simulation platform offering a virtual environment to develop and test robots driven by brain-inspired controllers. Eventually, the peripheral whisker system was properly connected to an adaptive cerebellar network controller. The whole system was able to drive active whisking with learning capability, matching neural correlates of behaviour experimentally recorded in mice.

Topics

active sensing central pattern generator cerebellar network computational modeling mice neurorobotics sensorimotor sensorimotor integration spiking neural network trigeminal ganglion virtual environment virtual mouse robot whisker system