Software/Hardware Issues in Modelling Insect Brain Architecture

The concept of cognitive abilities is commonly associated to humans and animals like mammals, birds and others. Nevertheless, in the last years several research groups have intensified the studies on insects that posses a much simpler brain structure even if they are able to show interesting memory and learning capabilities. In this paper a survey on some key results obtained in a joint research activity among Engineers and Neurogeneticians is reported. They were focussed toward the design and implementation of a model of the insect brain inspired by the Drosophila melanogaster. Particular attention was paid to the main neural centers the Mushroom Bodies and the Central Complex. Moreover a Software/Hardware framework, where the model could be tested and evaluated by using both simulated and real robots, is described. This research activity aims at introducing an insect brain to act as a controller for very smart and sophisticated insectoid body structures, to give rise to a new generation of novel embodied intelligent machines.