Sun, X. orcid.org/0000-0001-9035-5523, Mangan, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-0293-8874, Peng, J. et al. (1 more author) (2025) I2Bot: an open-source tool for multi-modal and embodied simulation of insect navigation. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 22 (222). 20240586. ISSN 1742-5689
Abstract
Achieving a comprehensive understanding of animal intelligence demands an integrative approach that acknowledges the interplay between an organism’s brain, body and environment. Insects, despite their limited computational resources, demonstrate remarkable abilities in navigation. Existing computational models often fall short in faithfully replicating the morphology of real insects and their interactions with the environment, hindering validation and practical application in robotics. To address these gaps, we present I2Bot, a novel simulation tool based on the morphological characteristics of real insects. This tool empowers robotic models with dynamic sensory capabilities, realistic modelling of insect morphology, physical dynamics and sensory capacity. By integrating gait controllers and computational models into I2Bot, we have implemented classical embodied navigation behaviours and revealed some fundamental navigation principles. By open-sourcing I2Bot, we aim to accelerate the understanding of insect intelligence and foster advances in the development of autonomous robotic systems.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | animal intelligence; bio-inspired; biorobotics; embodiment; insect locomotion; insect navigation; Animals; Insecta; Robotics; Models, Biological; Computer Simulation; Software; Spatial Navigation |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Computer Science (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 27 Jan 2025 12:02 |
Last Modified: | 12 Mar 2025 12:54 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2024.0586 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | The Royal Society |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rsif.2024.0586 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222339 |