The Neurally Controlled Animat: Biological brains acting with simulated bodies

The brain is perhaps the most advanced and robust computation system known. We are creating a method to study how information is processed and encoded in living cultured neuronal networks by interfacing them to a computer-gen erated animal, the Neurally-Controlled Animat, within a virtual world. Cort ical neurons from rats are dissociated and cultured on a surface containing a grid of electrodes (multi-electrode arrays, or MEAs) capable of both rec ording and stimulating neural activity. Distributed patterns of neural acti vity are used to control the behavior of the Animat in a simulated environm ent. The computer acts as its sensory system providing electrical feedback to the network about the Animat's movement within its environment. Changes in the Animat's behavior due to interaction with its surroundings are studi ed in concert with the biological processes (e.g., neural plasticity) that produced those changes, to understand how information is processed and enco ded within a living neural network. Thus, we have created a hybrid real-tim e processing engine and control system that consists of living, electronic, and simulated components. Eventually this approach may be applied to contr olling robotic devices, or lead to better real-time silicon-based informati on processing and control algorithms that are fault tolerant and can repair themselves.