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The SpikerBot App

The SpikerBot robot is meant to be used with the SpikerBot app, available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Chrome at robot.backardbrains.com. The app is a neural network simulator that receives sensory data from the robot while controlling its behavior.

How the app works​

  • Drag and drop neurons from the panel on the left into the brain area.
  • Drag the handle that appears under selected neurons to form synapses.
  • Neurons can be quiet or spontaneously active.
  • Neurons can excite or inhibit activity in their targets.
  • Press play to put your network in control of the robot and see what it does.

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Neural Circuits​

  • Recurrent Excitation is when two or more neurons excite each other, creating a feedback loop that can maintain activity indefinitely. Recurrent excitation underlies sustained activities like walking, breathing, or holding a thought in memory.

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  • Lateral Inhibition is when two or more neurons inhibit each other, suppressing activity in all but one. Lateral inhibition clarifies perception and enables decision-making.

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Brain Library​

The SpikerBot app includes several pre-built brains that generate different behaviors.

Threat Avoidance​

A single neuron is activated by the distance sensor, driving the robot backwards while blinking and beeping.

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Target Tracking​

Two neurons respond to a visual target appearing on the left or right, driving the wheel on the opposite side forward.

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Explore Autonomously​

Five bursting neurons activate the motors at random intervals. A single quiet distance sensing neuron produces backward movement.

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A single quiet neuron responds to seeing people, and activates five light-and-sound producing neurons at random intervals.

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Sustained Activity​

Two neurons strongly activate each other, forming a recurrent excitatory circuit. Both neurons drive the robot forward. A sensory neuron detects green and activates the recurrent circuit. A second, inhibitory sensory neuron detects red and stops the recurrent circuit.

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Make Decisions​

Two recurrent excitatory circuits drive the robot forward and backward, respectively. Two sensory neurons respond to green and red, respectively. The green-detecting neuron activates the forward circuit and inhibits the backward circuit. The red-detecting neuron has the opposite effect.

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Troubleshooting​

  1. No Response from Robot: Check that it's turned on and charged.
  2. Wi-Fi Connection Issues: Ensure you're connected to the correct robot’s Wi-Fi network, the robot’s LEDs should change from blue to green when the WiFi connection is established.