"Technology has overtaken nature in some domains but lags far behind in the cognitive processing of received sense impressions. My dream is to endow robots with multiple sensory modalities. Instead of always building in more cameras, we should also along the way give them additional sensors for sound and touch."
Leo van Hemmen, chair of theoretical biophysics, Technische Universitaet Muenchen.
Fish and some amphibians possess a unique sensory capability that allows them, in effect, to "touch" objects in their surroundings without direct physical contact or to "see" in the dark.
Human senses take in only a small fraction of the ambient information that surrounds us. Infrared light, electromagnetic waves, and ultrasound are examples of the external influences that we can see or hear with the help of technology whereas other species such as fish and amphibians use special sense organs, their own biological equipment, for the purpose.
One such system found in fish and some amphibians is under investigation by the research team of Professor van Hemmen. Hermmen and his team are exploring the fundamental basis for this sensory system. What they discover might one day, through biomimetic engineering, better equip robots to navigate their environments.
Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/06/evolution-news-creating-robots-a-sixth-sense.html
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