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@@ -9,48 +9,66 @@ on neuroscience-inspired robotics for navigation in complex environments.
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[Monaco, J.D., Hwang, G.M., Schultz, K.M., and Zhang, K. (2020). Cognitive
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swarming in complex environments with attractor dynamics and oscillatory
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computing. Biol Cybern 114, 269–284).](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-020-00823-z)
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computing. Biol Cybern 114, 269–284.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-020-00823-z)
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**Abstract**
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Neurobiological theories of spatial cognition developed with respect to
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recording data from relatively small and/or simplistic environments compared
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to animals’ natural habitats. It has been unclear how to extend theoretical
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models to large or complex spaces. Complementarily, in autonomous systems
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technology, applications have been growing for distributed control methods
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that scale to large numbers of low-footprint mobile platforms. Animals and
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many-robot groups must solve common problems of navigating complex and
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uncertain environments. Here, we introduce the NeuroSwarms control framework
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to investigate whether adaptive, autonomous swarm control of minimal
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artificial agents can be achieved by direct analogy to neural circuits of
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rodent spatial cognition. NeuroSwarms analogizes agents to neurons and
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swarming groups to recurrent networks. We implemented neuron-like agent
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interactions in which mutually visible agents operate as if they were
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reciprocally connected place cells in an attractor network. We attributed a
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phase state to agents to enable patterns of oscillatory synchronization
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similar to hippocampal models of theta-rhythmic (5–12 Hz) sequence
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generation. We demonstrate that multi-agent swarming and reward-approach
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dynamics can be expressed as a mobile form of Hebbian learning and that
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NeuroSwarms supports a single-entity paradigm that directly informs
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theoretical models of animal cognition. We present emergent behaviors
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including phase-organized rings and trajectory sequences that interact with
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environmental cues and geometry in large, fragmented mazes. Thus, NeuroSwarms
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is a model artificial spatial system that integrates autonomous control and
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theoretical neuroscience to potentially uncover common principles to advance
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both domains.
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> Neurobiological theories of spatial cognition developed with respect to
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> recording data from relatively small and/or simplistic environments compared
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> to animals’ natural habitats. It has been unclear how to extend theoretical
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> models to large or complex spaces. Complementarily, in autonomous systems
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> technology, applications have been growing for distributed control methods
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> that scale to large numbers of low-footprint mobile platforms. Animals and
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> many-robot groups must solve common problems of navigating complex and
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> uncertain environments. Here, we introduce the NeuroSwarms control framework
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> to investigate whether adaptive, autonomous swarm control of minimal
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> artificial agents can be achieved by direct analogy to neural circuits of
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> rodent spatial cognition. NeuroSwarms analogizes agents to neurons and
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> swarming groups to recurrent networks. We implemented neuron-like agent
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> interactions in which mutually visible agents operate as if they were
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> reciprocally connected place cells in an attractor network. We attributed a
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> phase state to agents to enable patterns of oscillatory synchronization
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> similar to hippocampal models of theta-rhythmic (5–12 Hz) sequence
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> generation. We demonstrate that multi-agent swarming and reward-approach
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> dynamics can be expressed as a mobile form of Hebbian learning and that
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> NeuroSwarms supports a single-entity paradigm that directly informs
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> theoretical models of animal cognition. We present emergent behaviors
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> including phase-organized rings and trajectory sequences that interact with
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> environmental cues and geometry in large, fragmented mazes. Thus, NeuroSwarms
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> is a model artificial spatial system that integrates autonomous control and
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> theoretical neuroscience to potentially uncover common principles to advance
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> both domains.
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**Installation**
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First, either set up a new python environment (with either venv or anaconda) and install the required dependencies. Using Anaconda, this would look like,
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First, either set up a new python environment (with either venv or Anaconda) and
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install the required dependencies. Using Anaconda, this would look like,
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```bash
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$ conda create -n neuroswarms python numpy scipy matplotlib pytables pillow
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$ conda create -n neuroswarms python ipython numpy scipy matplotlib pytables pillow
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$ conda activate neuroswarms
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```
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Then, in the top-level `neuroswarms` folder (either cloned or downloaded from this repository), you can do a developer install of neuroswarms if you are interested in working with the code. In your shell,
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Then, in the top-level `neuroswarms` folder (either cloned or downloaded from
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this repository), you can do a developer install (with the `-e` option below) if
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you are interested in working with the code:
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```bash
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$ cd /path/to/neuroswarms
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$ pip install -e .
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```
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(neuroswarms)$ cd /path/to/neuroswarms
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(neuroswarms)$ pip install -e .
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```
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If you have the `mpv` video player installed, it will be used to automatically
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play the movie file of the simulation once it is saved. You can install `mpv`
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with `brew install mpv` (macOS) or `sudo apt install mpv` (linux).
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**Usage**
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An example script in `scripts/run-example.py` shows how to create a
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`NeuroswarmsModel` object and call its `.simulate(...)` method with parameter
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values to run a trial simulation.
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The `mapdata` folder contains the precomputed data for the two environments
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presented in the paper: the 'multi-reward arena' and the 'large hairpin maze'.
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You can choose either of these environments by setting the `env` parameter to
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"test" or "hairpin", respectively.

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