TITLE:

Computational Mechanisms for Small Target Detection in Insects

DATE:

Friday, October 21st, 2016

TIME:

3:30 PM

LOCATION:

GMCS 314

SPEAKER:

Dr. Patrick Shoemaker. Research Associate Professor, Computational

Science Research Center. San Diego State University.

ABSTRACT:

Insects that chase prey or mates on the wing rely on vision to

mediate this behavior – and in doing so they must be able to

selectively pick out and attend to objects that subtend no more than

one to a few facets on the compound eye. I discuss putative

computational mechanisms that underlie this detection and

processing, as revealed by electrophysiological studies of neurons

in the third optic ganglion of several insect species. We argue that

understanding how this computationally complex problem is addressed

in the nervous systems of these (relatively simple) animals can

provide broad insight into the ways that brains solve routine but

difficult, real-world problems.

HOST:

Dr. Jose Castillo

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