Biologically-inspired information fusion
Monday 18 May 2009
Dr Matthew Casey and Professor Robert Damper of the University of Southampton are guest editing an issue of the journal Information Fusion on biologically-inspired information fusion. The issue brings together computer scientists and psychologists to help foster cross-discipline work on information and sensor fusion.
Casey, M.C. & Damper, R.I. (2009). Guest Editorial: Special Issue on Biologically-Inspired Information Fusion. Information Fusion.
Design, implementation and effective deployment of artificial cognitive systems is an exciting area that is rapidly developing into a multi-disciplinary subject with the potential for significant impact on science, engineering and society in general. Since we are in a very real sense trying to mimic the desirable behavior of humans and (perhaps) other animals, particularly with respect to their adaptability and robustness, there is considerable interest in understanding how knowledge of natural systems may help us to apply biological strategies to artificial systems. At the same time, drawing on a computational metaphor for perception and cognition, developing new computational and algorithmic techniques might allow us to understand natural systems better. Of particular interest to this journal are new approaches to building adaptive information fusion systems. Can knowledge of biological multisensory processing help develop robust fusion schemes? Can we use biological or behavioural models to help us understand how and why multisensory integration occurs in animals and humans?