Computer Vision (37): Sensing through Seismics, The Golden Mole

Nature has always outwitted humans in its creativity and optimization. Humans are one of the few creatures bestowed with a complex and highly developed visual sensitivity. Even though we ourselves haven't been able to crack the algorithms of our visual cortex, researchers are trying hard to replicate the behavior in robots. I myself have strived for years to unravel the enigma, but in vain. I then started to look out for other suitable ways to allow robots to become autonomous in one way or the other and came across a category of owls that could pin point their prey through hearing and have already blogged about it.

Some pythons have the ability to sense the infra red radiation from creatures and can even use it to hunt down their prey. Usually these are called pit snakes. Though not very well developed they still have eyes for vision, which leave these creatures not that special compared to the golden moles that I came across recently.

These creatures do not have eyes at all. They have extremely sensitive hearing and vibration detection, and can navigate underground with unerring accuracy. Morphological analysis of the middle ear has revealed a massive malleus which likely enables it to detect seismic cues. The make use of this seismic sensitivity to detect prey as well as to navigate when burrowing through sand. While vibrations are used over long distances to detect prey, smell is possibly used over shorter distances.