The authors discuss an autonomous routing scheme (called Holonic Routing) for large-scale networks that uses the principle of neural networks. In this scheme each node computes the optimal route whenever it tries to transmit a packet; thus the network can always maintain a balanced load, providing maximum transmission capacity in response to changes in traffic and topology. Because the routing procedure is packet by packet, even if a failure occurs in transit the packet will automatically be routed to avoid failed parts. Thus, a reliable nonstop network can be easily constructed using this scheme. The scheme is especially suitable for multimedia networks where large capacity and high reliability are needed.>