Application of reduced sensor movement sequences as a precursor for search area partitioning and a selection of discrete EEV contour-ring fragments for active electrolocation

In addition to their visual sense, weakly electric fish use active electrolocation to detect and analyse objects in their nearby environment. Their ability to generate and sense electric fields combined with scanning-like swimming movements are intended to extract further parameters like the size, shape and material properties of objects. Inspired by this biological example, this work introduces an application for active electrolocation based on reduced sensor movement sequences as presented in Wolf-Homeyer et al (2016 Bioinspir. Biomim. 11 055002). Initially, the application is conducted with a simulated receptor-system consisting of an emitter-dipole and an orthogonally arranged pair of sensor-electrodes. Close inspection of a minimal set of scanning movements allows the exclusion of sectors of the general search area early in the proposed localization algorithm (search area partitioning). Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is based on an analytical representation of the electric field and of the so-called EEV (ensemble of electrosensory viewpoints) (Solberg et al 2008 Int. J. Robot. Res. 27 529–48) rather than using computationally expensive FEM simulations, rendering it suitable for embedded computer systems. Two-dimensional discrete EEV contour-ring points (CRPs) of desired accuracy are extracted. In the core of the localization algorithm, fragments of the EEV are selected from valid sectors of the search area, which generates sets of CRPs, one for each sensor–emitter position/orientation. These sets are investigated by means of a nearness metric to find points in different sets which correspond to each other in order to estimate the object position. Two resultant scanning strategies/localization algorithms are introduced.