Nature inspires new generation of robot brains Horizon Magazine - European Commission

While the human brain is often seen as the ultimate model for robotic intelligence, scientists are also learning plenty from the neurobiological structures and processes of more humble creatures, from fruit flies to rodents. Take the fruit fly – or rather, the maggot that grows up to be a fruit fly. Drosophila fruit fly larvae have fewer than 10 000 neurons – compared to about 100 billion in the human brain. But they display a range of complex orientation and learning behaviours that computational theory does not adequately explain at present. By studying how the larvae change their response to stimuli such as smells when these are associated with reward or punishment, the EU-funded MINIMAL project aims to unpick the exact mechanism underlying learning processes.