# SINRL: Socially Integrated Navigation with Reinforcement Learning using Spiking Neural Networks

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.07266 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.07266/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in RL for robot navigation and UAV control, one of 15 directions in Deep reinforcement learning methods.
- Builds on 12 of its 29 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 8 Dec 2025.

## Placed in

- Deep reinforcement learning methods / [RL for robot navigation and UAV control](https://mlsanity.com/deeprl/rl-for-robot-navigation-and-uav-control/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Optuna: A Next-generation Hyperparameter Optimization Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.10902/) (2019)
- [Crowd-Robot Interaction: Crowd-aware Robot Navigation with Attention-based Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1809.08835/) (2018)
- [Decentralized Non-communicating Multiagent Collision Avoidance with Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.07845/) (2016)
- [Core Challenges of Social Robot Navigation: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.05668/) (2021)
- [Principles and Guidelines for Evaluating Social Robot Navigation Algorithms](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.16740/) (2023)
- [Collision Avoidance in Pedestrian-Rich Environments with Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.11689/) (2019)
- [Deep Reinforcement Learning with Population-Coded Spiking Neural Network for Continuous Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.09635/) (2020)
- [Reinforcement co-Learning of Deep and Spiking Neural Networks for Energy-Efficient Mapless Navigation with Neuromorphic Hardware](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.01157/) (2020)
- [SICNav: Safe and Interactive Crowd Navigation using Model Predictive Control and Bilevel Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.10982/) (2023)
- [Neuro-Planner: A 3D Visual Navigation Method for MAV with Depth Camera based on Neuromorphic Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.02305/) (2022)
- [Dynamic Power Management for Neuromorphic Many-Core Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.08941/) (2019)
- [Socially Integrated Navigation: A Social Acting Robot with Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.09793/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Integrating autonomous mobile robots into human environments requires human-like decision-making and energy-efficient, event-based computation. Despite progress, neuromorphic methods are rarely applied to Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) navigation approaches due to unstable training. We address this gap with a hybrid socially integrated DRL actor-critic approach that combines Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) in the actor with Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in the critic and a neuromorphic feature extractor to capture temporal crowd dynamics and human-robot interactions. Our approach enhances social navigation performance and reduces estimated energy consumption by approximately 1.69 orders of magnitude.