Collaborative Research: Proprioception by fish pectoral fins: Is fin sensation tuned to fin mechanics and pattern movement?

在动物中，正常的肢体运动，如行走或伸手，需要来自肢体的关于其运动和力学的感觉信息。 虽然鱼类使用它们的四肢（或成对的鳍）进行各种各样的行为，但人们对感官能力在这些功能中所起的作用知之甚少。 本计画探讨鳍推进系统的感觉与运动元件如何共同调适以产生功能性神经机械系统的基本问题。 特别是，它将确定鳍的物理特性（例如硬度、尺寸和形状）如何反映在鳍的生物感觉仪器中。 除了为研究感觉和运动的整合提供一个新的易于处理的模型外，该项目的数据还将为水下航行器的鳍式推进装置的设计提供信息。该项目的更广泛影响将为芝加哥南部的儿童提供外展经验，并为实验室的本科生和研究生培训提供机会，并在菲尔德自然历史博物馆开展教育活动。

In animals, normal limb movements such as walking or reaching require sensory information from the limb regarding their movements and mechanics. While fishes use their limbs (or paired fins) for a diverse array of behaviors, little is known about the role sensory abilities plays in those functions. This project examines the fundamental question of how the sensory and motor elements of the fin propulsive system co-adapt to generate a functional neuromechanical system. In particular, it will determine how physical properties of the fins such as stiffness, size and shape, are reflected in the biological instrumentation of the fins for sensation. In addition to providing a new tractable model for studying integration of sensation and movement, data from this project will inform the design of fin-inspired propulsive devices for underwater vehicles. The broader impacts of this project will provide outreach experiences for children on the South Side of Chicago as well as opportunities for undergraduate and graduate training in the laboratory and builds educational activities at the Field Museum of Natural History.