Spatial cognition
Neural models of place, grid, and head-direction cells for navigation and memory.
University of South Florida
Intelligence inspired by living systems.
We study how brains represent space, learn from experience, and coordinate behavior—then bring those principles into autonomous robots.
Bbio × robotics
PERCEPTION
MEMORY
ACTION
130+publications
30+years of research
8core research areas
Research
From neural circuits
to robot behavior.
Our work seeks an in-depth understanding of animal behavior mapped to brain neurophysiology, using robots as both scientific instruments and intelligent systems.
Neurorobotics
Embodied computational neuroscience connecting animal behavior, brain physiology, and robots.
Cognitive robotics
Learning, planning, and adaptive behavior for autonomous mobile and humanoid robots.
Multi-robot systems
Coordination, collaboration, formation control, and autonomous robot soccer.
Human–robot interaction
Natural interfaces and intelligent behavior for robots operating with people.
Neural simulation
The Neural Simulation Language and schema-based tools for large-scale brain modeling.
Selected work
Recent publications
2025Visual Place Cell Encoding: A Computational Model for Spatial Representation and Cognitive MappingC. Hamilton and A. Weitzenfeld · arXiv:2504.159532025Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning in Multi-Goal Spatial Navigation with Autonomous Mobile RobotsB. Johnson and A. Weitzenfeld · arXiv:2504.187942025Space Robotics: A Proposal for Technical Guideline Standardization of Biomimetic Engineering Design MethodologyJ. Cornejo, A. Weitzenfeld, J. Baca, and C. E. García Cena · Biomimetics2024Analyzing Multi-Robot Leader-Follower Formations in Obstacle-Laden EnvironmentsZ. Hinnen and A. Weitzenfeld · SAB 2024
Lab DirectorLeadership
Prof. Alfredo
Weitzenfeld
Professor, Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing
Dr. Weitzenfeld directs the BioRobotics Laboratory and the USF RoboBulls RoboCup team. He is a main developer of the Neural Simulation Language and Abstract Schema Language, a founding member of the Latin American Robotics Council and Symposium, and a former IEEE-RAS Distinguished Lecturer.
Support
Funded research
Collaborative work spanning spatial memory, neural sequence learning, navigation, and biomimetic robotics.
2017–2024NSF · IIS #1703225
Experimental and Robotics Investigations of Multi-Scale Spatial Memory Consolidation in Complex Environments
University of South Florida · University of Arizona
2014–2019NSF–ANR · CRCNS #1429937
A Replay-Driven Model of Spatial Sequence Learning in the Hippocampus–PFC Network Using Reservoir Computing
USF · University of Arizona · INSERM
2011–2015NSF · IIS #1117303
Dorsal versus Ventral Place and Grid Cells during Multi-Scale Spatial Navigation in Rats and Robots
University of South Florida · University of Arizona
Opportunities
Build the next generation of intelligent robots.
The BioRobotics Laboratory recruits Ph.D. students interested in spatial cognition, neurorobotics, autonomous systems, and computational neuroscience.
View funded Ph.D. opportunities USF graduate admissions