A Neural Approach for Robot Navigation based on Cognitive Map Learning

This paper presents a neural network architecture for a robot learning new navigation behavior by observing a human's movement in a room. While indoor robot navigation is challenging due to the high complexity of real environments and the possible dynamic changes in a room, a human can explore a room easily without any collisions. We therefore propose a neural network that builds up a memory for spatial representations and path planning using a person's movements as observed from a ceiling-mounted camera. Based on the human's motion, the robot learns a map that is used for path planning and motor-action codings. We evaluate our model with a detailed case study and show that the robot navigates effectively.