Project description
Adaptation of visual systems to changes in environment and behaviour
Looking at a photograph is a relatively simple visual task. In real life, the visual systems of living organisms must process highly dynamic and complex data relevant to the organisms’ social interactions, feeding, mating and survival and more. In addition to a constantly changing environment, self-motion adds another level of complexity. The ERC-funded AdaptiveVision project will investigate two critical visual computations: contrast estimation in dynamically changing environments and the encoding of global motion cues generated by self-motion. The goal is first to understand common principles of visual system function and then elucidate how diverse visual systems adapt to specific environmental and behavioural constraints.
Objective
The processing of visual information allows humans, animals, and computer-vision based machines to navigate the world. All visual systems face common challenges when the world rapidly changes. Such changes are often generated by an animal’s own movement. Self-motion for example causes fast changes in illumination and generates global motion patterns on the eye, due to the movement of the world relative to the observer. Diverse visual systems face these common challenges but must also deal with important differences. First, animals experience different environments. Second, animals show different types of behavior, such as walking or flying, and behavior will alter the visual cues that the animal encounters. The goal of AdaptiveVision is to first understand common principles of visual system function, and to then work out how diverse visual systems adapt to specific environmental and behavioral constraints. To achieve this, AdaptiveVision will study two essential visual computations, the robust estimation of contrast in dynamically changing environments, and the encoding of global motion cues generated by self-motion.
For both topics, AdaptiveVision will follow a common approach: We will first study the mechanisms of visual computation in D.melanogaster. This model organism allows to identify molecular, biophysical, and circuit mechanisms of visual system function and link these back to behavior, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of visual computation. Second, a comparative approach will answer how diverse visual systems adapt to the individual constraints brought about by the environments and by the animal’s own behavior. Developing different Drosophila species as genetic models or applying transcriptomic techniques in different Diptera will allow us to obtain molecular signatures of homologous cell types and lead toward an understanding of the molecular basis of the evolution of visual computation.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
55122 MAINZ
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.