Spatial Representation for Navigation in Animats

This article considers the problem of spatial representation for animat navigation systems. It is proposed that the global navigation task, or wayfinding, is best supported by multiple interacting sub-systems, each of which builds its own partial representation of relevant world knowledge. Evidence from the study of animal navigation is reviewed to demonstrate that similar principles underlie the wayfinding behaviour of animals including man. A simulated wayfinding system is described that embodies and illustrates several of the themes identified with animat navigation. This system constructs a network of partial models of the quantitative spatial relations between groups of salient landmarks. Navigation tasks are solved by propagating egocentric view information through this network using a simple but effective heuristic to arbitrate between multiple solutions.