COARSE CODING - APPLICATIONS TO THE VISUAL-SYSTEM OF SALAMANDERS

In a previous study, we calculated the resolution obtained by a popula tion of overlapping receptive fields, assuming a coarse coding mechani sm. The results, which favor large receptive fields, are applied to th e visual system of tongue-projecting salamanders. An analytical calcul ation gives the number of neurons necessary to determine the direction of their prey. Direction localization and distance determination are studied in neural network simulations of the orienting movement and th e tongue projection, respectively. In all cases, large receptive field s are found to be essential to yield a high sensory resolution. The re sults are in good agreement with anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral data.