Computational model of a biologically plausible cognitive map

Summary form only given, as follows. Humans develop spatial cognitive maps using knowledge gathered while repeatedly observing their environment. This knowledge may come from landmarks present in the environment, the relative position(s) of these landmarks, or available paths along which an observer can reach these landmarks. Recent neurophysiological findings in rats suggest that there are special cells in the hippocampal region of the brain which are responsible for recognizing places in a spatial environment. Based on this present neurophysiological evidence on place identification and the map-building process, the authors propose a computational model for constructing a spatial cognitive map using artificial neural network models. Such a map-building process may be used by a mobile robot to learn its environment automatically through exploration