Jeffrey Krichmar (pictured top) and Emre Neftci (pictured right), UCI professors of cognitive sciences, have received a three-year $671,606 grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to develop brain-inspired computer models that mimic the brain's ability to deliberate, adapt to change, hypothesize, and problem solve. Rats and other animals demonstrate these abilities, especially when they navigate around the world. Using biologically inspired machine learning methods - including both experimental and computational modeling techniques - Krichmar and team will build systems capable of generating cognitive maps. The models will eventually be deployed on power efficient autonomous robots that can navigate the world much like rats and other animals.

Xiangmin Xu, UCI anatomy and neurobiology professor, is a co-principal investigator on the project with sub award recipients Ken De Jong, George Mason University computer science professor, and Doug Nitz, UCSD cognitive science professor and chair.

Funding for this work began in July and runs through June 2022.