scholarly journals 2318 Augmenting perception through direct electrical stimulation of adult somatosensory cortex

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 5-5
Author(s):  
Yohannes Ghenbot ◽  
Andrew Richardson ◽  
Xilin Liu ◽  
Han Hao ◽  
Sam DeLuccia ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Our main objectives are to study sensory encoding in the adult cortex and quantify rodents’ ability to use intracortical microstimulation to guide behavior. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Three rats were implanted with unilateral bipolar stimulating electrodes. The electrodes were connected to a wireless neural stimulator housed in the rat’s backpack. The rat’s swim path was tracked by a video camera above the circular pool, and stimulation parameters were updated in real-time based on distance from the platform. Stimulation was delivered as the distance from the platform increased. Stimulation amplitude was determined through behavioral threshold testing, and parameters ranged from 15–75 μA with 100-Hz pulse trains and 0.2-ms pulses. Rats were first challenged with the 4-platform task in which the submerged platform was randomized across 4 possible locations. This dissociated visual cues from the platform location, as rats had knowledge of the 4 possible locations, but had to use stimulation to guide them efficiently. Next, rats were tasked with the more challenging random-platform task. Visual cues were completely dissociated from the platform location by randomizing the platform location across the entire pool. Performance using the neuroprosthetic device was assessed by comparing trials when the device was on (stimulation trial) Versus off (no-stim trial) for the 2 tasks. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 4-platform task: Rats visited less potential platform locations when the neuroprosthetic was on Versus off. Rats were also more likely to visit the correct platform location on their first swim trajectory when brain stimulation was delivered. When artificial cues were not available, rats had a greater chance of visiting the platform location from the previous trial. This indicated that rats relied on visuospatial memory without the neuroprosthetic. Random platform task: Performance was measured by taking the ratio of the rat’s actual path length to the optimal path length. When the neuroprosthetic was on, rats demonstrated superior performance through a smaller path to length ratio compared with when the device was off. The platform locations of catch trials were matched to a random subset of stimulation trials, permitting a paired sample t-test. Both rats had significantly shorter path lengths when the device was on. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Rodents have excellent navigation skills that have been well studied. They have been shown to rely on multimodal sensory information from visual, olfactory, auditory, and idiothetic cues to navigate through their environment. The importance of these cues depends on both their environmental presence and task relevance. In the original Morris water maze experiment, rats use vision to form a visuospatial map of the platform location for allocentric navigation. Here, we have shown that sensory augmented rats can pick up on novel sensory information delivered through ICMS to efficiently find a hidden platform when visual cues are made irrelevant.Our results have implications for the design of the bi-directional sensorimotor neuroprosthetic. We have demonstrated that mammals can interpret artificial sensory information to guide behavior. Future directions include investigating sensory encoding in other primary sensory areas and downstream targets along the somatosensory neuraxis.

2013 ◽  
Vol 791-793 ◽  
pp. 265-268
Author(s):  
Xiao Li Yang ◽  
Qiong He ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Tong Yang

We investigated the optical path length to tea polyphenols (TP) determination in Puer tea by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The NIR spectra samples include three path lengths (1mm, 2mm and 5mm). Firstly, spectra were pre-processed to eliminate useless information. Then, determination model was constructed by partial least squares regression. To study the influence of pre-processing on identification of optimal path for NIR analysis of tea polyphenols, we applied five techniques to pre-process spectra, including normalization, standardization, centralization, derivative and discrete wavelet transform. Comparison of the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the models with different path lengths show that the models constructed with spectra collected in 2mm path length gave the best results. 1mm path length gained the uncorrected determination results. Normalization, centralization and derivative are better than standardization or discrete wavelet transform for pre-processing.


2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 2984-2997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Jenmalm ◽  
Seth Dahlstedt ◽  
Roland S. Johansson

Most objects that we manipulate have curved surfaces. We have analyzed how subjects during a prototypical manipulatory task use visual and tactile sensory information for adapting fingertip actions to changes in object curvature. Subjects grasped an elongated object at one end using a precision grip and lifted it while instructed to keep it level. The principal load of the grasp was tangential torque due to the location of the center of mass of the object in relation to the horizontal grip axis joining the centers of the opposing grasp surfaces. The curvature strongly influenced the grip forces required to prevent rotational slips. Likewise the curvature influenced the rotational yield of the grasp that developed under the tangential torque load due to the viscoelastic properties of the fingertip pulps. Subjects scaled the grip forces parametrically with object curvature for grasp stability. Moreover in a curvature-dependent manner, subjects twisted the grasp around the grip axis by a radial flexion of the wrist to keep the desired object orientation despite the rotational yield. To adapt these fingertip actions to object curvature, subjects could use both vision and tactile sensibility integrated with predictive control. During combined blindfolding and digital anesthesia, however, the motor output failed to predict the consequences of the prevailing curvature. Subjects used vision to identify the curvature for efficient feedforward retrieval of grip force requirements before executing the motor commands. Digital anesthesia caused little impairment of grip force control when subjects had vision available, but the adaptation of the twist became delayed. Visual cues about the form of the grasp surface obtained before contact was used to scale the grip force, whereas the scaling of the twist depended on visual cues related to object movement. Thus subjects apparently relied on different visuomotor mechanisms for adaptation of grip force and grasp kinematics. In contrast, blindfolded subjects used tactile cues about the prevailing curvature obtained after contact with the object for feedforward adaptation of both grip force and twist. We conclude that humans use both vision and tactile sensibility for feedforward parametric adaptation of grip forces and grasp kinematics to object curvature. Normal control of the twist action, however, requires digital afferent input, and different visuomotor mechanisms support the control of the grasp twist and the grip force. This differential use of vision may have a bearing to the two-stream model of human visual processing.


1999 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Kamarthi ◽  
S. T. S. Bukkapatnam ◽  
S. Hsieh

This paper presents an analytical model of the tool path for staircase traversal of convex polygonal surfaces, and an algorithm—referred to as OPTPATH—developed based on the model to find the sweep angle that gives a near optimal tool path length. The OPTPATH algorithm can be used for staircase traversal with or without (i) overlaps between successive sweep passes, and (ii) rapid traversal along edge passes. This flexibility of OPTPATH renders it applicable not only to conventional operations such as face and pocket milling, but also to other processes such as robotic deburring, rapid prototyping, and robotic spray painting. The effective tool path lengths provided by OPTPATH are compared with those given by the following two algorithms: (i) a common industrial heuristic—referred to as the IH algorithm—and (ii) an algorithm proposed by Prabhu et al. (Prabhu, P. V., Gramopadhye, A. K., and Wang, H. P., 1990, Int. J. Prod. Res., 28, No. 1, pp. 101–130) referred to as PGW algorithm. This comparison is conducted using 100 randomly generated convex polygons of different shapes and a set of seven different tool diameters. It is found that OPTPATH performs better than both the IH as well as PGW algorithms. The superiority of OPTPATH over the two algorithms becomes more pronounced for large tool diameters. [S1087-1357(00)71501-2]


2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 390-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. Zupan ◽  
D. M. Merfeld

Sensory systems often provide ambiguous information. For example, otolith organs measure gravito-inertial force (GIF), the sum of gravitational force and inertial force due to linear acceleration. However, according to Einstein's equivalence principle, a change in gravitational force due to tilt is indistinguishable from a change in inertial force due to translation. Therefore the central nervous system (CNS) must use other sensory cues to distinguish tilt from translation. For example, the CNS might use dynamic visual cues indicating rotation to help determine the orientation of gravity (tilt). This, in turn, might influence the neural processes that estimate linear acceleration, since the CNS might estimate gravity and linear acceleration such that the difference between these estimates matches the measured GIF. Depending on specific sensory information inflow, inaccurate estimates of gravity and linear acceleration can occur. Specifically, we predict that illusory tilt caused by roll optokinetic cues should lead to a horizontal vestibuloocular reflex compensatory for an interaural estimate of linear acceleration, even in the absence of actual linear acceleration. To investigate these predictions, we measured eye movements binocularly using infrared video methods in 17 subjects during and after optokinetic stimulation about the subject's nasooccipital (roll) axis (60°/s, clockwise or counterclockwise). The optokinetic stimulation was applied for 60 s followed by 30 s in darkness. We simultaneously measured subjective roll tilt using a somatosensory bar. Each subject was tested in three different orientations: upright, pitched forward 10°, and pitched backward 10°. Five subjects reported significant subjective roll tilt (>10°) in directions consistent with the direction of the optokinetic stimulation. In addition to torsional optokinetic nystagmus and afternystagmus, we measured a horizontal nystagmus to the right during and following clockwise (CW) stimulation and to the left during and following counterclockwise (CCW) stimulation. These measurements match predictions that subjective tilt in the absence of real tilt should induce a nonzero estimate of interaural linear acceleration and, therefore, a horizontal eye response. Furthermore, as predicted, the horizontal response in the dark was larger for Tilters ( n = 5) than for Non-Tilters ( n= 12).


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Hiroki Aoki ◽  
Shin-ichi Demura ◽  
Kenji Takahashi ◽  
Hiroshi Hirai

Recently, to evaluate dynamic balance ability, a stipulated tempo step test has been developed, and a step error between tempo and contact time of feet has been used as an evaluation variable. The step error, postural sway, and their relationships may differ between the slow tempo (40 bpm) and fast tempo (120 bpm). This study aimed to examine the aforementioned problem with 62 participant children (30 boys and 32 girls). The step error and postural sway variables (X-axis path length, Y-axis path length, total path length, peripheral area, and rectangular area) during stepping while matching both tempos were measured. Means of one minute and three intervals (0–20 sec, 20–40 sec, and 40–60 sec) for each variable were calculated in both tempos. The results of the paired t-test showed that means of all variables were larger in the 40 bpm tempo than in the 120 bpm tempo. In the multiple comparison tests after the results of the two-way repeated measures ANOVA, the means of three intervals in all variables were larger in the 40 bpm tempo than in the 120 bpm tempo; the means of the sway variables, excluding that of the X-axis path length, in the 40 bpm tempo were larger in the 0–20 sec interval than in the 20–40 sec interval or the 40–60 sec interval. Correlations between step errors and those between the step error and sway variables of both tempos were insignificant or under moderation. The correlations between the step error and sway variables in both tempos were insignificant or significant but low, and those among sway variables were high, except between the X- and Y-axis path lengths. The relationship between both axis path lengths differed according to the tempo. In conclusion, in the case of the stipulated tempo step test targeting children, the slow tempo has a greater step error and postural sway than the fast tempo, and the sway in the early step stage is greater in the slow tempo. The relationships between step errors and between the step error and sway variables of both tempos are low; hence, the ability related to the test may differ in both tempos. The relationships among sway variables in both tempos are high, except between the X- and Y-axis path lengths.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senthil G A ◽  
Arun Raaza ◽  
N Kumar

Abstract Specialized transducers in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) that offer sensing services to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices have limited storage and energy resources. One of the most vital issues in WSN design is power usage, as it is nearly impossible to recharge or replace sensor nodes’ batteries. A prominent role in conserving power for energy-constrained networks is served by the clustering algorithm. It is possible to reduce network energy usage and network lifespan prolongation by proper balancing of the network load with Cluster Head (CH) election. The single-hop inter-cluster routing technique, in which there is a direct transfer from CHs to the Base Station (BS), is done by the Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH). However, for networks with large-regions, this technique is not viable. An optimized Orphan-LEACH (O-LEACH) has been proposed in this work to facilitate the formation of a novel process of clustering, which can result in minimized usage of energy as well as enhanced network longevity. Sufficient energy is possessed by the orphan node, which will attempt to be cover the network. The proposed work’s primary novel contribution is the O-LEACH protocol that supplies the entire network’s coverage with the least number of orphaned nodes and has extremely high connectivity rates. A hybrid optimization utilizing Simulated Annealing (SA) with Lightning Search Algorithm (LSA) (SA-LSA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) with LSA (PSO-LSA) Algorithm is proposed. These proposed techniques effectivelymanage the CH election achieving optimal path routing and minimization in energy usage, resulting in the enhanced lifespan of the WSN. The proposed technique’s superior performance, when compared with other techniques, is confirmed from the outcomes of the experimentations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (6-6) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. Farah ◽  
Amira Shahirah ◽  
N. Irwan ◽  
R. L. Zuraida

The challenging part of path planning for an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) is to conduct a reactive navigation. Reactive navigation is implemented to the sensor based UGV. The UGV defined the environment by collecting the information to construct it path planning. The UGV in this research is known as Mobile Guard UGV-Truck for Surveillance (MG-TruckS). Modified Virtual Semi Circle (MVSC) helps the MG-TruckS to reach it predetermined goal point successfully without any collision. MVSC is divided into two phases which are obstacles detection phase and obstacles avoidance phase to compute an optimal path planning. MVSC produces shorter path length, smoothness of velocity and reach it predetermined goal point successfully.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 171785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin F. Strube-Bloss ◽  
Wolfgang Rössler

Flowers attract pollinating insects like honeybees by sophisticated compositions of olfactory and visual cues. Using honeybees as a model to study olfactory–visual integration at the neuronal level, we focused on mushroom body (MB) output neurons (MBON). From a neuronal circuit perspective, MBONs represent a prominent level of sensory-modality convergence in the insect brain. We established an experimental design allowing electrophysiological characterization of olfactory, visual, as well as olfactory–visual induced activation of individual MBONs. Despite the obvious convergence of olfactory and visual pathways in the MB, we found numerous unimodal MBONs. However, a substantial proportion of MBONs (32%) responded to both modalities and thus integrated olfactory–visual information across MB input layers. In these neurons, representation of the olfactory–visual compound was significantly increased compared with that of single components, suggesting an additive, but nonlinear integration. Population analyses of olfactory–visual MBONs revealed three categories: (i) olfactory, (ii) visual and (iii) olfactory–visual compound stimuli. Interestingly, no significant differentiation was apparent regarding different stimulus qualities within these categories. We conclude that encoding of stimulus quality within a modality is largely completed at the level of MB input, and information at the MB output is integrated across modalities to efficiently categorize sensory information for downstream behavioural decision processing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 172988141988674
Author(s):  
Jonghoek Kim

This article introduces time-efficient path planning algorithms handling both path length and safety within a reasonable computational time. The path is planned considering the robot’s size so that as the robot traverses the constructed path, it doesn’t collide with an obstacle boundary. This article introduces two virtual robots deploying virtual nodes which discretize the obstacle-free space into a topological map. Using the topological map, the planner generates a safe and near-optimal path within a reasonable computational time. It is proved that our planner finds a safe path to the goal in finite time. Using MATLAB simulations, we verify the effectiveness of our path planning algorithms by comparing it with the rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT)-star algorithm in three-dimensional environments.


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