title: Interfacing insect brain for space applications.
abstract: Insects exhibit remarkable navigation capabilities that current control architectures are still far from successfully mimic and reproduce. In this chapter, we present the results of a study on conceptualizing insect/machine hybrid controllers for improving autonomy of exploratory vehicles. First, the different principally possible levels of interfacing between insect and machine are examined followed by a review of current approaches towards hybridity and enabling technologies. Based on the insights of this activity, we propose a double hybrid control architecture which hinges around the concept of "insect-in-a-cockpit." It integrates both biological/artificial (insect/robot) modules and deliberative/reactive behavior. The basic assumption is that "low-level" tasks are managed by the robot, while the "insect intelligence" is exploited whenever high-level problem solving and decision making is required. Both neural and natural interfacing have been considered to achieve robustness and redundancy of exchanged information.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems Laboratory, Università Campus Biomedico di Roma, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Pino
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benvenuto
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campolo
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Accoto
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maria Rossini
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guglielmelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface