Method and apparatus for teleoperation, guidance and odor detection training of a freely roaming animal through brain stimulation

Abstract

Electronic components, including a transceiver for two-way wireless communications, are carried by a freely roaming animal such as a rat. Electrodes are implanted in the brain of the animal to provide cues and rewards to the animal to achieved desired behaviors, including controlling the direction and speed of movement of the animal, and training the animal to recognize odors. The electronics can include network interface components that allow a network of the animals to work together. Sensors carried by the animal provide information to a remote base-station regarding, e.g., heading and location. Other sensors, such as a video camera, microphone, and chemical or gas detector, provide information regarding an environment of the animal. The animal can carry out missions such as searching for people buried in rubble piles, law enforcement operations, and detection of explosives, chemicals or other dangerous materials. A vehicle for deploying the animal is also provided.

1 . An apparatus for use with a freely roaming animal, comprising:
 at least one control ( 210 ,  215 ) for controlling movement of the animal ( 190 ) by controlling energizing of electrodes that are implanted in the animal's brain;   at least one sensor ( 225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  245 ,  255 ,  260 ) associated with the at least one control for providing data; and   a transceiver ( 220 ) associated with the at least one control for receiving a wireless control signal from a remote operator ( 100 ,  10 ) for controlling the movement of the animal, and for transmitting a wireless signal carrying the data.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor provides data regarding an orientation of the animal.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises a heading sensor ( 225 ), and the data indicates a heading of the animal.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises a tilt sensor ( 230 ), and the data indicates a tilt of the animal.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises an angular velocity sensor ( 235 ), and the data indicates an angular velocity of the animal.   
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises a microphone ( 255 ), and the data provides audio from an environment of the animal.   
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a video camera ( 245 ) for providing video data from an environment of the animal.   
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises a chemical sensor ( 260 ), and the data identifies or detects a chemical in an environment of the animal.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one sensor comprises a gas sensor ( 260 ), and the data identifies or detects a gas in an environment of the animal.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a global positioning system component ( 270 ) for providing data regarding a global position of the animal.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one control is programmed with software instructions for navigating to a target location using the data regarding the global position of the animal.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one control comprises a brain stimulation control ( 210 ) for controlling the energizing of the electrodes, and a data control ( 215 ) for interfacing with the transceiver ( 220 ) for receiving the wireless control signal from the remote operator, and for transmitting the wireless signal carrying the data.   
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one control, at least one sensor and the transceiver are adapted to be carried by the animal.   
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a backpack ( 160 ,  400 ), adapted to be carried by the animal, in which the at least one control, at least one sensor and the transceiver are provided.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the backpack comprises saddlebags ( 410 ,  420 ) connected by a flexible interconnect material.   
   
   
       16 . A network of freely roaming animals, comprising:
 a plurality of network interface devices ( 310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ) and associated transceivers;   wherein each network interface device hosts a node of the network, and each network interface device and transceiver is carried by a respective one of the animals.   
   
   
       17 . The network of  claim 16 , wherein:
 a base station network interface device hosts a base station node ( 3   10 ) of the network.   
   
   
       18 . The network of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the transceiver of a first of the animals receives a wireless signal ( 324 ) from a base station, and relays the wireless signal ( 322 ) to a second of the animals.   
   
   
       19 . The network of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the wireless signal controls movement of the second animal by controlling energizing of electrodes that are implanted in the second animal's brain.   
   
   
       20 . The network of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the transceiver of a first of the animals receives a wireless signal ( 322 ) which is transmitted by the transceiver of at least a second of the animals and relays the wireless signal ( 324 ) to the base station node ( 310 ).   
   
   
       21 . The network of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the wireless signal carries data from a sensor carried by the second animal.   
   
   
       22 . The network of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the freely roaming animals include at least one seeker animal.   
   
   
       23 . The network of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the freely roaming animals include at least one follower animal that follows at least one seeker animal.   
   
   
       24 . The network of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the freely roaming animals include at least one relay animal for relaying data from a seeker and/or follower animal.   
   
   
       25 . A method for training a freely roaming animal, comprising:
 monitoring the animal's behavior; and   controlling movement of the animal by remotely controlling energizing of electrodes that are implanted in the anima)'s brain to achieve a desired behavior.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises setting a rate of MFB stimulation in proportion to a desired running speed of the animal. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises rewarding the animal for maintaining connectivity with other animals in a network of animals. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises rewarding the animal for recovering or improving connectivity with other animals in a network of animals. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises semi-autonomously guiding the animal to a position in which the strength of signals received from other animals in a network of animals is optimized. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises providing MFB stimulation as a reward for finding an odor target. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controlling movement comprises providing MFB stimulation as a reward for discriminating an odor target from at least one other odor source. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 determining whether the animal has detected a target odor based on olfactory recognition signals from the brain of the animal.   
   
   
       33 . A method for training a freely roaming animal to detect a target odor, comprising:
 recording olfactory recognition signals from the animal's brain; and   responsive to the recording, analyzing the olfactory recognition signals to determine whether there is a recognition event indicating that the animal has detected the target odor.   
   
   
       34 . A remotely controlled propelled vehicle for deploying an animal, comprising:
 means ( 530 ) for carrying the animal;   means ( 535 ,  537 ,  540 ,  547 ) for egressing the animal from the carrying means; and   means ( 570 ) for receiving a wireless control signal from a base station for controlling the vehicle ( 500 ) and the egressing means.   
   
   
       35 . The remotely controlled propelled vehicle of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 means ( 570 ) for receiving a wireless control signal from the base station for controlling movement of the animal by remotely controlling energizing of electrodes that are implanted in the animal's brain to achieve a desired behavior.   
   
   
       36 . The remotely controlled propelled vehicle of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 means ( 570 ) for relaying the wireless control signal received from the base station to a receiver carried by the animal for controlling the movement of the animal.   
   
   
       37 . The remotely controlled propelled vehicle of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 means ( 570 ) for relaying a wireless signal received from a transmitter carried by the animal after the animal has egressed from the carrying means to a base station.   
   
   
       38 . The remotely controlled propelled vehicle of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the wireless signal from the transmitter carried by the animal provides data obtained by at least one sensor ( 225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  245 ,  255 ,  260 ) carried by the animal.