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An Ideal Navigator Model of Human Wayfinding: Learning One’s Way Around a New Town (2006)
BibTeX
@MISC{Manning06anideal,
author = {Jeremy Manning and Michael J. Kahana and Robert Sekuler},
title = {An Ideal Navigator Model of Human Wayfinding: Learning One’s Way Around a New Town},
year = {2006}
}
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Abstract
Searching for a target in an unfamiliar environment requires acquiring, storing, processing, and recalling spatial information. We use datasets from two virtual reality navigation experiments to design and validate a simple biologically-inspired computational model of these processes. Subjects in both datasets play taxicab drivers, picking up and delivering passengers in a series of small virtual towns. After just a few deliveries, subjects learn to generate minimumdistance, novel paths between passengers and their destinations. Subjects ’ rapid learning and near-ceiling performance inspires the creation of an ideal navigator model, which makes optimal use of sensory information to learn navigationally relevant spatial information about the environment as quickly as possible. We use MAGELLAN, a simple, two-parameter, ideal navigator model, as a benchmark against which to assess possible sources of subject error. By systematically degrading the ideal navigator’s vision and memory, MAGELLAN accounts for human subjects ’ mean performance in both datasets, and correctly predicts the difficulty that subjects encounter in navigating different environments. Goal-directed navigation is among the most important behaviors in the repertoire of any non-sessile animal, humans
Keyphrases
ideal navigator model new town human wayfinding relevant spatial information unfamiliar environment possible source novel path human subject mean performance goal-directed navigation virtual reality navigation experiment near-ceiling performance simple biologically-inspired computational model sensory information subject error important behavior ideal navigator vision optimal use spatial information different environment small virtual town taxicab driver non-sessile animal
