Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE ARTIFICIAL PERCEPTUAL SYSTEM — IN A
PERCEPTUAL PROSTHESIS?
We define a sensor information system, based on the perceptual communication
between a human and a perceptual system as:
A perceptual system that produces information, which comprises an array of sen-
sors that may compose of different sensor types, with partial and overlapping
specificity/selectivity and appropriately applied mathematical pattern recognition
procedures. Also an artificial perceptual system will provide qualitative output
values in a human-system symbiosis, Cooley (2008), that can with advantage act
as a complementary part in a perceptual based-human prosthesis.
The above definition clearly defines artificial human-based sensor systems as a
“natural” interface attached to the human body. However, artificial human sensors
that complement the human perception are of certain interest, since it may increase
the overall performance in exploring and acting in our environment. Since the
human perception is built upon the basic need to survive when exploring and
acting in often dangerous and unstructured environments. We certainly could take
advantage of a system that will increase our capability.
The ancient behaviour of feeling unsafe forces us to take control of our
proximity, by perceptual sensations. The perceptual abilities and skills are related
to basic survival functions, principally connected to danger and food. The abil-
ity to fight for survival depends on a variety of structural situations, such as if
we are able to detect an enemy at a distance, will hopefully enable us to put our-
selves into a more secure place. Also, the perceptual capacity helps us to detect
and discriminate edible food. This survival ability has during many generations
been strengthened by refined abilities in our perceptual system, resulting in the
fact that we managed quite well
— since we actually survived
. However, in the last
two to three centuries something has happened with our sensing capabilities and
a change in the basic perceptual inherited structure is indicated as fading out.
7.1
INTRODUCTION
The measuring operational principle of a perceptual-based sensor composed of
different sensor type is characterised by an individuality that makes the selectivity
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