This poster demonstrates our model of how cortical columns determine allocentric locations of sensed features. We propose that neocortical columns learn maps of objects, similar to how entorhinal cortex and hippocampus learn maps of environments.
Entorhinal cortex represents locations and orientations relative to specific environments via grid and head direction cells. We propose that cortical columns contain analogs of grid and head direction cells. These cells represent the location and orientation of the sensory patch relative to specific objects.
Each cortical column associates sensory inputs with the sense organ’s location and orientation relative to the sensed feature. Columns can then arrange these features into novel objects.
The poster also shows how cortical columns might work together by voting on the body’s allocentric location.