Motion and Sensing in Electrosensory Systems : Investigating Sensor-Based Control in Electrosensory-Endowed Fish and Robots

ISBN-13: 9783639108507 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 236 str.

James Solberg

Opis

I have chosen electrosensory systems as a platformto explore sensing and control in both artificial andbiological systems. In particular,active electrolocation is investigated, where thetask is to estimate the location of a target usingmeasurements from a self-generated electric field.The fundamentals of electrolocation are describedfirst with a finite-element numerical approximationof the governing equations, and then simple modelsare used to predict electrosensory observations.Several belief maintenance schemes are employed tofuse sensor data and explicitly account foruncertainties in the position of the target. In thebiological realm, a protocol for simulating thesensory acquisition and belief maintenance duringprey-capture behavior in the weakly electric fish wasdeveloped. Using these simulations optimal sensingwas investigated, and results provide insight intothe interdependencies and co-evolution of sensing andmotion systems of the weakly electric fish. In theartificial realm, an electrosensory robot capable ofactively locating underwater targets by measuringperturbations in a self-generated electric field wasbuilt.

O autorze

Dr. Solberg received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from
Northwestern University through the Laboratory of Intelligent
Mechanical Systems. He then worked briefly as a physicist at
Northrop Grumman Corporation developing algorithms for
counter-measure systems. James currently works as a Design and
Controls Engineer at Kinea Design, LLC.