1. A mobile brain-based device for moving in a real-world environment, comprising: a) a mobile adaptive device having (i) sensors for sensing multi-modal information in the real-world environment, which information includes visual image information of the real-world environment, head direction information of the movement of the mobile adaptive device in the real-world environment, and obstacle detection information of obstacles to the movement of the mobile adaptive device in the real-world environment, and (ii) a mobile base; b) a simulated nervous system exhibiting the neuroanatomy, physiology and functionality of a region of a mammalian brain, including: (i) a visual cortical system having first pathways for the visual image information, said first pathways providing, respectively, information of what images in the real-world environment the brain-based device is seeing, and information of where the images are in the real-world environment; (ii) a head direction system having a second pathway for the head direction information; and (iii) a hippocampus, having synaptic pathways therewithin, for receiving and integrating the visual image information and the head direction information over time to produce spatial memory and episodic memory; c) wherein said simulated nervous system further includes a value system, responsive to the obstacle detection information, for providing salient event information to said hippocampus experienced by the mobile brain-based device as it moves in the real-world environment, wherein the salient event information modulates connection strengths of said synaptic pathways within said hippocampus to control movement of the mobile brain-based device in the real-world environment; d) wherein said simulated nervous system further includes an action selection system, connected to said hippocampus and receiving from said sensors the head direction information, for providing new head direction information for the mobile brain-based device; and e) wherein said mobile base of said mobile adaptive device is responsive to the new head direction information for enabling the mobile brain-based device to move about the real-world environment.