Natures wonders: biomimetics; avoiding interference (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, December 21, 2015, 21:39 (3042 days ago) @ David Turell

A fish uses electrolocation to spot prey, and has a mechanisms to damp down interference. -http://phys.org/news/2015-12-fish-key-efficient-wireless-networks.html- -
An unlikely source—a small South American fish known as Eigenmannia that depends on electrolocation for survival—presents a potential solution, according to researchers in the University of Georgia College of Engineering.-"Eigenmannia (virescens) is a species of glass knifefish, and they locate objects by generating an electric field and detecting distortions in the field," assistant professor Mable Fok said. "They have a neural circuit that can effectively sense the frequency emitted by other fish, and they use this sense to regulate their own emitting frequency so they don't interfere with the others."-In other words, the fish have developed a natural system that prevents them from jamming each other's signals.-***-"'If we can borrow the JAR circuit from the Eigenmannia and replicate it in our communications frequency bands, then we can create a communications system that allows automated interference mitigation," Fok said.-"To simulate the theory, Fok and Toole designed an artificial neural model using photonics technology that mimics the way the JAR circuit behaves in the fish.-"Photonics is the science of generating, controlling and detecting photons, which are particles of light. Photonic technology is found in a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics—barcode scanners, DVD players and remote TV controls—to defense and security—infrared cameras and remote sensing equipment. The technology allows systems to complete complex, real-time categorization and decision-making tasks.-"In the researchers' computer simulation, photonic interconnections mimic the neural function in the fish's nervous system. The ultimate idea is to design a photonic nervous system that allows wireless devices to automatically seek an unused frequency when they detect interference from other devices.-
Comment: It is amazing how much nature has invented that we can copy.