Cognitive maps provide a powerful framework for understanding spatial and abstract reasoning in biological and artificial agents. While recent computational models link cognitive maps to hippocampal-entorhinal mechanisms, they often rely on global optimization rules (e.g., backpropagation) that lack biological plausibility. In this work, we propose a novel cognitive architecture for structuring episodic memories into cognitive maps using local, Hebbian-like learning rules, compatible with neural substrate constraints. Our model integrates the Successor Features framework with episodic memories, enabling incremental, online learning through agent-environment interaction. We demonstrate its efficacy in a partially observable grid-world, where the architecture autonomously organizes memories into structured representations without centralized optimization. This work bridges computational neuroscience and AI, offering a biologically grounded approach to cognitive map formation in artificial adaptive agents.

One question central to Reinforcement Learning is how to learn a feature representation that supports algorithm scaling and re-use of learned information from different tasks. Successor Features approach this problem by learning a feature representation that satisfies a temporal constraint. We present an implementation of an approach that decouples the feature representation from the reward function, making it suitable for transferring knowledge between domains. We then assess the advantages and limitations of using Successor Features for transfer.