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1. Neuromorphic place cells

   https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4386/ad48b0  

   Chen, Zhaoqi; Nasrallah, Alia; Etienne-Cummings, Ralph (May 2024, Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering)

   Abstract A neuromorphic simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system shows potential for more efficient implementation than its traditional counterpart. At the mean time a neuromorphic model of spatial encoding neurons in silicon could provide insights on the functionality and dynamic between each group of cells. Especially when realistic factors including variations and imperfections on the neural movement encoding are presented to challenge the existing hypothetical models for localization. We demonstrate a mixed-mode implementation for spatial encoding neurons including theta cells, egocentric place cells, and the typical allocentric place cells. Together, they form a biologically plausible network that could reproduce the localization functionality of place cells observed in rodents. The system consists of a theta chip with 128 theta cell units and an FPGA implementing 4 networks for egocentric place cells formation that provides the capability for tracking on a 11 by 11 place cell grid. Experimental results validate the robustness of our model when suffering from as much as 18% deviation, induced by parameter variations in analog circuits, from the mathematical model of theta cells. We provide a model for implementing dynamic neuromorphic SLAM systems for dynamic-scale mapping of cluttered environments, even when subject to significant errors in sensory measurements and real-time analog computation. We also suggest a robust approach for the network topology of spatial cells that can mitigate neural non-uniformity and provides a hypothesis for the function of grid cells and the existence of egocentric place cells. 

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2. Language and Place

   https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009380874  

   Carmichael, Katie; Reed, Paul E (January 2025, Cambridge University Press)

   Place has been central to sociolinguistic research from the beginning. How speakers conceptualize and orient to place can influence linguistic productions. Additionally, places can and do have myriad meanings – some strongly contested. Further, place is not static, as people move and the ideologies regarding certain places evolve over time. This Element probes these themes. It begins by reviewing the existing work on language and place within sociolinguistics according to key themes in the literature – place orientation, gentrification, globalization, and commodification, amongst others. Then it introduces key concepts and frameworks for studying place within allied fields such as geography, sociology, architecture, and psychology. Each author then presents a case study of language and place within their respective field sites: rural Appalachia and Greater New Orleans. The authors end by identifying areas for future development of place theory within sociolinguistics. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core. 

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3. Probabilistic Pick and Place Planning instead of Pick then Place Planning

   Devendran Shanthi, Mohanraj; Hermans, Tucker (October 2023, IROS Workshop on Differentiable Probabilistic Robotics)
4. Location, location, location: The effects of place in place-based simulations

   Siebert-Evenstone, A. L; Shaffer, D. W. (January 2019, A Wide Lens: Combining Embodied, Enactive, Extended, and Embedded Learning in Collaborative Settings:13th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning)
5. Pick and Place Planning is Better Than Pick Planning Then Place Planning

   https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2024.3360892  

   Shanthi, Mohanraj Devendran; Hermans, Tucker (March 2024, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters)