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Sensors and Sensing in Biology and Engineering pp 291–303Cite as

Mechanisms for Gradient Following

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Abstract

Many organisms move up or down stimulus gradients to a more favorable environment. Investigation over more than a century has revealed that a variety of mechanisms are used by different organisms. There are tradeoffs among these strategies between the number of sensors, the movements required of the searcher, and physical constraints on its orientation. Recently, theoretical analysis and computer simulation have been used to explore these tradeoffs quantitatively. This information may be useful in the design of autonomous vehicles that might also follow stimulus gradients.

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Authors
  1. David B. Dusenbery
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biocenter, Institute of Zoology — Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Austria

    Friedrich G. Barth

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Joseph A. C. Humphrey

  3. Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Timothy W. Secomb

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Dusenbery, D.B. (2003). Mechanisms for Gradient Following. In: Barth, F.G., Humphrey, J.A.C., Secomb, T.W. (eds) Sensors and Sensing in Biology and Engineering. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6025-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-6025-1_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-7287-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-6025-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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