The role of visual landmarks in the avian familiar area map - Commentary

The question of whether homing pigeons use visual landmarks for orientation from distant, familiar sites is an unresolved issue in the field of avian navigation. Where evidence has been found, the question still remains as to whether the landmarks are used independent of the map and compass mechanism for orientation that is so important to birds. Recent research has challenged the extent to which experiments that do not directly manipulate the visual sense can be used as evidence for compass-independent orientation. However, it is proposed that extending a new technique for research on vision in homing to include manipulation of the compasses used by birds might be able to resolve this issue. The effect of the structure of the visual sense of the homing pigeon on its use of visual landmarks is also considered.

Homing pigeons use olfactory cues for navigation in England

Although the use of olfactory cues in pigeon navigation is well established, the generality of olfactory navigation remains uncertain because of apparent variability in results gained by different researchers in different regions. We report the results of the first experiments investigating the effect of anosmia on homing pigeons reared in a previously uninvestigated region, southern England. In series 1, experienced birds showed little effect of anosmia induced with zinc sulphate at unfamiliar sites 30 km and 39 km from the loft, but treated birds were significantly poorer than controls at homing from an unfamiliar site 66 km distant (and in pooled results). In series 2, naive (untrained) birds, both control and zinc-sulphate-treated, showed poor homing abilities and initial orientation from sites 25 km, 36 km and 39 km from the loft. Nevertheless, in pooled results, controls showed significantly better homeward orientation than anosmic birds and were significantly more likely to home on the day of release. The most likely explanation for our results is that pigeons are able to use olfactory navigation in southern England, but that for some reason the olfactory map is relatively weak.

Brief Report: Faces cause less distraction in Autism

Individuals with autism have difficulties interpreting face cues that contribute to deficits of social communication.When faces need to be processed for meaning they fail to capture and hold the attention of individuals with autism. In the current study we illustrate that faces fail to capture attention in a typical manner even when they are non-functional to task completion. In a visual search task with a present butterfly target an irrelevant face distractersignificantly slows performance of typical individuals.However, participants with autism (n = 28; mean 10 years 4 months) of comparable non-verbal ability are not distracted by the faces. Interestingly, there is a significant relationship between level of functioning on the autism spectrum and degree of face capture or distraction.

Evaluation of a Passive Millimeter Wave (PMMW) imager for wire detection in degraded visual conditions

Ground vehicle tests have been performed to evaluate the performance of a Passive Millimeter Wave (PMMW) imager in reduced visibility conditions and in particular, the ability to detect power lines and cables. A PMMW imager was
compared with Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) and visible imaging cameras. The three sensors were mounted on a Land Rover, together with GPS and digital recording system. All three sensors plus the GPS data were recorded simultaneously in order to provide direct comparisons. The vehicle collected imagery from a number of sites in the vicinity of Malvern, UK, in January, 2008. Imagery was collected both while the vehicle was stationary at specific sites
and while it was moving. Weather conditions during the data collection included clear, drizzle, rain and fog. Imagery was collected during the day, at night, and during dusk/dawn transition periods. The PMMW imager was a prototype which operated at 94 GHz and was based on a conically scanned folded Schmidt camera and the LWIR and visible sensors were commercial off the shelf items.

A Visual Analytics Framework for Strategic Airlift Decision Making

The foundational concept of Network Enabled Capability relies on effective, timely information sharing. This information is used in analysis, trade and scenario studies, and ultimately decision-making. In this paper, the concept of visual analytics is explored as an enabler to facilitate rapid, defensible, and superior decision-making. By coupling analytical reasoning with the exceptional human capability to rapidly internalize and understand visual data, visual analytics allows individual and collaborative decision-making to occur in the face of vast and disparate data, time pressures, and uncertainty. An example visual analytics framework is presented in the form of a decision-making environment centered on the Lockheed C-5A and C-5M aircraft. This environment allows rapid trade studies to be conducted on design, logistics, and capability within the aircraft?s operational roles. Through this example, the use of a visual analytics decision-making environment within a military environment is demonstrated.