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Sou NOBUKAWA Nobuhiko WAGATSUMA Haruhiko NISHIMURA
Various types of synchronization phenomena have been reported in coupled chaotic systems. In recent years, the applications of these phenomena have been advancing for utilization in sensor network systems, secure communication systems, and biomedical systems. Specifically, chaos-chaos intermittency (CCI) synchronization is a characterized synchronization phenomenon. Previously, we proposed a new chaos control method, termed as the “reduced region of orbit (RRO) method,” to achieve CCI synchronization using external feedback signals. This method has been gathering research attention because of its ability to induce CCI synchronization; this can be achieved even if internal system parameters cannot be adjusted by external factors. Further, additive stochastic noise is known to have a similar effect. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the RRO method and the method that applies stochastic noise, both of which are capable of inducing CCI synchronization. The results showed that even though CCI synchronization can be realized using both control methods under the induced attractor merging condition, the RRO method possesses higher adoptability and accomplishes a higher degree of CCI synchronization compared to additive stochastic noise. This advantage might facilitate the application of synchronization in coupled chaotic systems.
Nobuhiko WAGATSUMA Mika URABE Ko SAKAI
Figure-ground (FG) segregation has been considered as a fundamental step towards object recognition. We explored plausible mechanisms that estimate global figure-ground segregation from local image features by investigating the human visual system. Physiological studies have reported border-ownership (BO) selective neurons in V2 which signal the local direction of figure (DOF) along a border; however, how local BO signals contribute to global FG segregation has not been clarified. The BO and FG processing could be independent, dependent on each other, or inseparable. The investigation on the differences and similarities between the BO and FG judgements is important for exploring plausible mechanisms that enable global FG estimation from local clues. We performed psychophysical experiments that included two different tasks each of which focused on the judgement of either BO or FG. The perceptual judgments showed consistency between the BO and FG determination while a longer distance in gaze movement was observed in FG segregation than BO discrimination. These results suggest the involvement of distinct neural mechanism for local BO determination and global FG segregation.
Sou NOBUKAWA Nobuhiko WAGATSUMA Haruhiko NISHIMURA Keiichiro INAGAKI Teruya YAMANISHI
Recent developments in engineering applications of stochastic resonance have expanded to various fields, especially biomedicine. Deterministic chaos generates a phenomenon known as chaotic resonance, which is similar to stochastic resonance. However, engineering applications of chaotic resonance are limited owing to the problems in controlling chaos, despite its uniquely high sensitivity to weak signal responses. To tackle these problems, a previous study proposed “reduced region of orbit” (RRO) feedback methods, which cause chaotic resonance using external feedback signals. However, this evaluation was conducted under noise-free conditions. In actual environments, background noise and measurement errors are inevitable in the estimation of RRO feedback strength; therefore, their impact must be elucidated for the application of RRO feedback methods. In this study, we evaluated the chaotic resonance induced by the RRO feedback method in chaotic neural systems in the presence of stochastic noise. Specifically, we focused on the chaotic resonance induced by RRO feedback signals in a neural system composed of excitatory and inhibitory neurons, a typical neural system wherein chaotic resonance is observed in the presence of additive noise and feedback signals including the measurement error (called contaminant noise). It was found that for a relatively small noise strength, both types of noise commonly degenerated the degree of synchronization in chaotic resonance induced by RRO feedback signals, although these characteristics were significantly different. In contrast, chaos-chaos intermittency synchronization was observed for a relatively high noise strength owing to the noise-induced attractor merging bifurcation for both types of noise. In practical neural systems, the influence of noise is unavoidable; therefore, this study highlighted the importance of the countermeasures for noise in the application of chaotic resonance and utilization of noise-induced attractor merging bifurcation.