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Binocular Vision and Vector-Summation Based Integration of Bilateral Innate and Learned Visual Cues in Insect Navigation

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Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems (Living Machines 2024)

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Abstract

Insects rely extensively on visual information for navigation, utilizing a combination of innate instincts and learned behaviors. The mushroom body (MB) has been identified as a key player in insect visual learning, with insects possessing bilateral MBs. However, the mechanisms underlying the interaction between the left and right MBs, and how innate and learned visual cues are integrated for accurate navigation, remain elusive. In this study, we employ a novel approach wherein visual models fusing MB and innate are initially provided with binocular (left and right) visual inputs, followed by the application of a bio-plausible vector-summation method to integrate binocular innate and learned (MB) visual guidance. We verify the efficacy of this integration method by reproducing recently published data from biologists, thus providing computational support for empirical findings. This research not only sheds light on the potential mechanism for integrating bilateral innate and learned visual cues in the insect brain but also offers insights that could inspire efficient solutions for information fusion in robotics.

Application Demonstration and Industrialization of Reconfigurable Digital Intelligent Control Technology for Flexible Platforms (Grant No.CXTD2020001); National Natural Science Foundation of China under the Grant No.62206066.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mathematics and Information Science, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China

    Qin Sun, Xuelong Sun & Haiyang Li

  2. Machine Life and Intelligence Research Centre, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China

    Qin Sun, Xuelong Sun & Haiyang Li

Authors
  1. Qin Sun
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  2. Xuelong Sun
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  3. Haiyang Li
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Correspondence to Qin Sun .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Nicholas S. Szczecinski

  2. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

    Victoria Webster-Wood

  3. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Matthew Tresch

  4. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    William R. P. Nourse

  5. Radboud University, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands

    Anna Mura

  6. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Roger D. Quinn

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Sun, Q., Sun, X., Li, H. (2025). Binocular Vision and Vector-Summation Based Integration of Bilateral Innate and Learned Visual Cues in Insect Navigation. In: Szczecinski, N.S., Webster-Wood, V., Tresch, M., Nourse, W.R.P., Mura, A., Quinn, R.D. (eds) Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 14930. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-72597-5_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-72597-5_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-72596-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-72597-5

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