My laboratory is interested in how the brain translates patterns of light received in the eye into complex behaviours. As such, we study the visual systems of several animal species, including humans. Human psychophysical studies allow us to judge reactions to particular types of visual stimulation. This technique is powerful in assessing what the human brain is capable of doing but fails when we try to understand where in the brain such activity occurs. The main technique we use is to record electrical activity from single neurons in the brains of cats, monkeys, selected marsupials and insects. Research using cats is primarily aimed at understanding how the brain decodes visual signals. From this work we have developed techniques for assessing how artificial signals from an implanted bionic eye can generate useful information in the brain. The monkey studies are aimed at understanding how the visual system works together with the motor system to achieve optimal processing capacity during normal waking behaviour. The work with marsupials is aimed at unravelling the evolution of the mammalian visual system. Finally, work with insects is helping to develop miniature processing devices for use in unmanned aerial vehicles. This process is referred to as biomimetics: the application of biological methods to the design of man-made technologies. In summary, the lab brings together biologists, psychologists and engineers to study biological vision systems and translates this knowledge into the development of biologically inspired engineering solutions.
