Coupled Memristor Oscillators for Neuromorphic Locomotion Control: Modeling and Analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuromorphic Engineering
• Robotics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Central pattern generators (CPGs) are neural systems controlling rhythmic motor behaviors, crucial for locomotion.
• Bio-inspired robotics seeks to replicate these systems for energy-efficient, synchronized movement in robots.
• Existing hardware implementations often lack compactness and energy efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel hardware platform for neuromorphic CPGs using vanadium dioxide (VO2) memristors.
• To show that coupled VO2 memristor oscillators can generate patterns for quadruped gaits.
• To establish a programmable and energy-efficient solution for robotic locomotion control.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dynamical model for VO2 memristive nanodevices.
• Performed analytical and bifurcation analysis on single VO2 oscillators.
• Conducted numerical simulations of four capacitively coupled VO2 memristor oscillators.

Main Results:

• Four coupled VO2 memristor oscillators successfully produced spatiotemporal patterns mimicking primary quadruped gaits.
• Gait patterns were programmable via tunable bias voltages, simplifying gait selection and coordination.
• The VO2 memristor oscillator model showed strong resemblance to biological neuron models like Morris-Lecar.

Conclusions:

• VO2 memristor-based coupled oscillators offer a promising, compact, and energy-efficient platform for neuromorphic CPGs.
• This approach significantly simplifies the control of complex robotic locomotion.
• The findings pave the way for advanced neuromorphic circuits emulating neurobiological functions.