ScienceDaily  — Fish and some amphibians possess a unique sensory capability in the so-called lateral-line system. It allows them, in effect, to “touch” objects in their surroundings without direct physical contact or to “see” in the dark. Professor Leo van Hermmen and his team in the physics department of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen are exploring the fundamental basis for this sensory system. What they discover might one day, through biomimetic engineering, better equip robots to orient themselves in their environments.

With our senses we take in only a small fraction of the information that surrounds us. Infrared light, electromagnetic waves, and ultrasound are just a few examples of the external influences that we humans can grasp only with the help of technological measuring devices – whereas some other animals 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 Leo van Hemmen, chair of theoretical biophysics at TUM, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen.

Sumber : Science  Daily

Informasi lengkap dapat diakses di :  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828103932.htm

Journal references:

1. Andreas B. Sichert, Robert Bamler, and J. Leo van Hemmen. Hydrodynamic Object Recognition: When Multipoles Count. Physical Review Letters, 2009; 102 (5): 058104 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.058104
2. Jan-Moritz P. Franosch, Hendrik J. A. Hagedorn, Julie Goulet, Jacob Engelmann, and J. Leo van Hemmen. Wake Tracking and the Detection of Vortex Rings by the Canal Lateral Line of Fish. Physical Review Letters, 2009; 103 (7): 078102 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.078102