University of Sheffield-Psychology, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2011 Nov 12;366(1581):2989-95. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0167.
Active sensing systems are purposive and information-seeking sensory systems. Active sensing usually entails sensor movement, but more fundamentally, it involves control of the sensor apparatus, in whatever manner best suits the task, so as to maximize information gain. In animals, active sensing is perhaps most evident in the modality of touch. In this theme issue, we look at active touch across a broad range of species from insects, terrestrial and marine mammals, through to humans. In addition to analysing natural touch, we also consider how engineering is beginning to exploit physical analogues of these biological systems so as to endow robots with rich tactile sensing capabilities. The different contributions show not only the varieties of active touch--antennae, whiskers and fingertips--but also their commonalities. They explore how active touch sensing has evolved in different animal lineages, how it serves to provide rapid and reliable cues for controlling ongoing behaviour, and even how it can disintegrate when our brains begin to fail. They demonstrate that research on active touch offers a means both to understand this essential and primary sensory modality, and to investigate how animals, including man, combine movement with sensing so as to make sense of, and act effectively in, the world.
主动感知系统是有目的和寻求信息的传感系统。主动感知通常需要传感器运动，但更根本的是，它涉及到以最适合任务的方式控制传感器设备，以最大限度地提高信息获取。在动物中，主动感知在触觉模态中最为明显。在本期特刊中，我们从昆虫、陆地和海洋哺乳动物到人类，研究了广泛物种的主动触觉。除了分析自然触摸外，我们还考虑了工程学如何开始利用这些生物系统的物理模拟，以便为机器人赋予丰富的触觉感知能力。不同的贡献不仅展示了主动触觉的多样性——触角、触须和指尖——还展示了它们的共性。它们探讨了主动触觉在不同动物谱系中的进化方式，它如何为控制正在进行的行为提供快速可靠的线索，甚至当我们的大脑开始失灵时，它如何解体。它们表明，主动触觉研究不仅提供了一种理解这种基本和主要感觉模态的方法，而且还提供了一种研究动物（包括人类）如何将运动与感知结合起来，以便理解并在世界上有效行动的方法。
