Robots get new ‘brain’ system inspired by birds, ants to navigate without GPS

Researchers have developed a new robot navigation system inspired by ants, birds, and mice that could help robots operate without GPS in challenging environments. The system uses three overlapping navigation methods: an ant-inspired internal tracking system, bird-inspired sensors that detect magnetic fields and polarized light, and a rodent-inspired mapping system that updates when encountering important landmarks. If one method fails, the others automatically compensate, providing redundancy for robots operating in collapsed buildings, deep-sea exploration, or other GPS-denied areas.