Computer networking for the robotic neural and sensory systems

  • Authors:
  • Carol Niznik;Robert Newcomb

  • Affiliations:
  • Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA and Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA and Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA

  • Venue:
  • Computer Communications
  • Year:
  • 1983

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Abstract

At the present time, robotic systems are composed mainly of mechanical functions connected for the purpose of achieving a specific form of automation. An overall plan for the robotic system computer architecture is described to investigate optimal, efficient and cost effective mimicking of human nervous system functions in the robotic system. The following component analogies are drawn between the computer network and the human nervous system: computer node to soma (cell body), input communication channels (links) to dendrites, output communication channels to axons and communications processor ports to buttons. The robotic nervous system therefore is structured as a larger internetwork (similar to the DARPA internetwork) of gateway nodes (controlling neuron cell bodies) which connect neuron intranetworks together. As in the human body, the robotic nervous system is the controlling system for visual and sensory functions.