Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity
In the future, artificial agents will need to make assessments of tactile stimuli in order to interact intelligently with the environment and with humans. Such assessments will depend on exquisite and robust mechanosensors, but sensors alone do not make judgments and choices. Rather, the central pro...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4386/acc08e |
| _version_ | 1797844624340942848 |
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| author | Z Yousefi Darani I Hachen M E Diamond |
| author_facet | Z Yousefi Darani I Hachen M E Diamond |
| author_sort | Z Yousefi Darani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the future, artificial agents will need to make assessments of tactile stimuli in order to interact intelligently with the environment and with humans. Such assessments will depend on exquisite and robust mechanosensors, but sensors alone do not make judgments and choices. Rather, the central processing of mechanosensor inputs must be implemented with algorithms that produce ‘behavioral states’ in the artificial agent that resemble or mimic perceptual judgments in biology. In this study, we consider the problem of perceptual judgment as applied to vibration intensity. By a combination of computational modeling and simulation followed by psychophysical testing of vibration intensity perception in rats, we show that a simple yet highly salient judgment—is the current stimulus strong or weak?—can be explained as the comparison of ongoing sensory input against a criterion constructed as the time-weighted average of the history of recent stimuli. Simulations and experiments explore how judgments are shaped by the distribution of stimuli along the intensity dimension and, most importantly, by the time constant of integration which dictates the dynamics of criterion updating. The findings of this study imply that judgments made by the real nervous system are not absolute readouts of physical parameters but are context-dependent; algorithms of this form can be built into artificial systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:25:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c827577a326c4ec393082d7e7d2578fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2634-4386 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:25:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-c827577a326c4ec393082d7e7d2578fd2023-04-18T13:53:21ZengIOP PublishingNeuromorphic Computing and Engineering2634-43862023-01-013101401410.1088/2634-4386/acc08eDynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensityZ Yousefi Darani0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-1567I Hachen1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1492-5499M E Diamond2Cognitive Neuroscience PhD program, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , Trieste, 34136, ItalyCognitive Neuroscience PhD program, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , Trieste, 34136, Italy; Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Konstanz 78464, GermanyCognitive Neuroscience PhD program, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) , Trieste, 34136, ItalyIn the future, artificial agents will need to make assessments of tactile stimuli in order to interact intelligently with the environment and with humans. Such assessments will depend on exquisite and robust mechanosensors, but sensors alone do not make judgments and choices. Rather, the central processing of mechanosensor inputs must be implemented with algorithms that produce ‘behavioral states’ in the artificial agent that resemble or mimic perceptual judgments in biology. In this study, we consider the problem of perceptual judgment as applied to vibration intensity. By a combination of computational modeling and simulation followed by psychophysical testing of vibration intensity perception in rats, we show that a simple yet highly salient judgment—is the current stimulus strong or weak?—can be explained as the comparison of ongoing sensory input against a criterion constructed as the time-weighted average of the history of recent stimuli. Simulations and experiments explore how judgments are shaped by the distribution of stimuli along the intensity dimension and, most importantly, by the time constant of integration which dictates the dynamics of criterion updating. The findings of this study imply that judgments made by the real nervous system are not absolute readouts of physical parameters but are context-dependent; algorithms of this form can be built into artificial systems.https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4386/acc08emechanoreceptorstactile sensationdecision-makingperceptionbehaving agentsactive touch |
| spellingShingle | Z Yousefi Darani I Hachen M E Diamond Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity Neuromorphic Computing and Engineering mechanoreceptors tactile sensation decision-making perception behaving agents active touch |
| title | Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| title_full | Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| title_fullStr | Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| title_short | Dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| title_sort | dynamics of the judgment of tactile stimulus intensity |
| topic | mechanoreceptors tactile sensation decision-making perception behaving agents active touch |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4386/acc08e |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zyousefidarani dynamicsofthejudgmentoftactilestimulusintensity AT ihachen dynamicsofthejudgmentoftactilestimulusintensity AT mediamond dynamicsofthejudgmentoftactilestimulusintensity |