Robot Navigation by Visual Dead-Reckoning: Inspiration from Insects

Abstract

Insects such as ants and bees are capable of surprisingly good navigation, despite the small size and relative simplicity of their brains. Recent experimental research in our laboratory, summarized in this chapter, indicates that honeybees estimate the distance travelled to a food site in terms of the image motion that they experience en route. This finding has inspired us to design and build a robot that navigates using a visually-driven odometer.