Abstract
We investigate how efficient signal transmission and recon- struction can be achieved within the olfactory system. We consider a theoretical model of signal integration within the olfactory pathway that derives from its convergent architecture and results in increased sen- sitivity to chemical stimuli between the first and second stages of the system. This phenomenon of signal integration in the olfactory system is formalised as an instance of hyperacuity. By exploiting a large pop- ulation of chemically sensitive microbeads, we demonstrate how such a signal integration technique can lead to real gains in sensitivity in ma- chine olfaction. In a separate computational model of the early olfactory pathway that is driven by real-world chemosensor input, we investigate how spike-based signal and graded-potential signalling compares for sup- porting the accuracy of reconstruction of the chemical stimulus at later stages of neuronal processing.
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Pearce, T., Verschure, P., White, J., Kauer, J. (2001). Robust Stimulus Encoding in Olfactory Processing: Hyperacuity and Efficient Signal Transmission. In: Wermter, S., Austin, J., Willshaw, D. (eds) Emergent Neural Computational Architectures Based on Neuroscience. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 2036. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44597-8_33
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44597-8_33
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