A neuromorphic VLSI grid cell system

Abstract

Neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex of rats have been found to respond in a two-dimensional hexagonal “grid” pattern anchored to the environment. “Grid cells” with different spatial frequencies are thought to contribute to the creation of unimodal “place” cell responses useful for spatial navigation. In this paper we present results from an analog VLSI circuit that generates a hexagonal grid of activity using continuous attractor dynamics and transmits this pattern via neuron-like spikes. This circuit is a component of a larger system for modeling the neural circuits underlying mammalian spatial navigation.