endler-improvedcolor-2017.pdf (11.07 MB)
Improved color constancy in honey bees enabled by parallel visual projections from dorsal ocelli
journal contribution
posted on 2017-07-18, 00:00 authored by J E Garcia, Y-S Hung, A D Greentree, M G P Rosa, John EndlerJohn Endler, A G DyerHow can a pollinator, like the honey bee, perceive the same colors on visited flowers, despite continuous and rapid changes in ambient illumination and background color? A hundred years ago, von Kries proposed an elegant solution to this problem, color constancy, which is currently incorporated in many imaging and technological applications. However, empirical evidence on how this method can operate on animal brains remains tenuous. Our mathematical modeling proposes that the observed spectral tuning of simple ocellar photoreceptors in the honey bee allows for the necessary input for an optimal color constancy solution to most natural light environments. The model is fully supported by our detailed description of a neural pathway allowing for the integration of signals originating from the ocellar photoreceptors to the information processing regions in the bee brain. These findings reveal a neural implementation to the classic color constancy problem that can be easily translated into artificial color imaging systems.
History
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaVolume
114Issue
29Pagination
7713 - 7718Publisher
National Academy of SciencesLocation
Washington, D.C.Publisher DOI
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ISSN
0027-8424eISSN
1091-6490Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2017, National Academy of SciencesUsage metrics
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