The Neural Microcircuits of Problem-solving and Goal-directed Behavior

What are the neuro-computational principles of the advanced problem-solving capabilities that we observe in higher animals like corvids and primates, and how can we use those principles as the basis for a computational model in an acting robot?

Dr. Manfred Eppe and Prof. Stefan Wermter from the Knowledge Technology group have been awarded a grant within the Experiment! programme of the Volkswagen Stiftung (acceptance rate for this programme is below 5%) to address this question within the project "The Neural Microcircuits of Problem-solving and Goal-directed Behavior".

The aim of this high-risk/high-gain project is to design and build a computational model of neural problem-solving circuits, and to evaluate it with an embodied problem-solving robot. The results will help to understand goal-directed behavior of animals, and they are expected to create a novel breakthrough for the development of intelligent goal-directed causal robotic agents. The model will be realized and evaluated on a physical robotic agent that shall be able to solve problems like the rocker-problem illustrated below. Here, the robot has to learn that it needs to lower the near side of the rocker for the object on the far side to roll down. This involves abstract reasoning about concepts like friction, force, and gravity.

PIs: Dr. Manfred Eppe, Prof. Dr. Stefan Wermter