|
The Perspective Cerebrum
|
|
Navigation through Calculation
|
The human mind is made of a vast system of neurons firing for the effect of anything from memory to motor coordination. Much like a modern day computer system, the mind is a series of one and zeros with countless numbers of variables. In essence, the human being is a complex computational machine that makes a decision based on the numerous data it collects from its five sensory faucets: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing, all controlled and processed by the cerebrum. In this site-specific research experiment, we explore how the human being navigates itself through a locale that is not one that it is normally familiar with, and contrast that data with specific data gathered from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. In order to add a new element to the experiment, the data collected is then transmitted to another organic computational machine situated far from the site. This isolated person will then proceed to logically position fix the mobile subject based on location descriptions given. With is research I would like to see the differences between how an organic computational machine navigates through a space and the specific coordinate system utilized by a mechanical computing device.
The Perceptive Cerebrum: Navigation through Calculation is a project that
boils two common systems being used down to its basic elements. In Edwin Hutchins'
"Cognition in the Wild," he explores the relationships and fundamental
processes of navigation on a large naval vessel. Hutchins explains to intricacies
of how personnel such as the ship's ensign has direct affect on the ship's
heading, but only after precise calculations are made from a team that is
void of visual contact, and can only navigate on a map based on the data given
to them from others that collect visual and physical data. Another system
of navigation that I have incorporated into this project is that of any common
police department. In a police department, navigation through the city is
based on information passed between the patrolling officer and the dispatch
center located back at the police station. At any given point in time, the
dispatcher has to keep a log of the patrol officer's location for practical
reasons, such as safety and the distance of each officer to a designated spot
which needs police response to optimize efficiency. Both the law enforcement
and naval systems of navigation depends on a fixed time schedule in which
data is being reported, in naval navigation, it is based on a 3-minute cycle,
whereas in law enforcement agencies, it varies from 20 to 40 minutes.
What this project incorporates into these two systems of navigation is an element of unfamiliarity and
lack of data faucets. In naval navigation, the plotting team has a series
of data collected, such as how fast the ship is moving; it's heading,
points of reference and their angles from the ship, and the depth of the
ground below. All this data is then placed into mathematical models and
a position is plotted on a map. In this project, the data collected is
made possible only by the human perception of sight and the depth of field
it is given. Even more definitive points of reference are limited to one
single entity on the surface of the Racetrack Playa, the Grandstand. This
is again different from the navigation system that is employed in a law
enforcement agency, where patrol officers use predetermined landmarks
such as intersections of street names, building names, and numbered city
blocks. In our experiment, our mobile subject navigates the surface of
the playa however way he sees fit, meaning he has the option to walk in
whichever speed and direction he chooses. He will then be prompted to
give a visual description of his location every five minutes by the isolated
subject that is out of visual range of the site. All this data will then
be collected by the isolated subject and after logical and mental calculations,
will attempt to pin point the mobile subject on a map of Racetrack Playa.
After the radio transmission of position description has been given to
the isolated subject, the mobile subject will then take down the coordinates
that is given by the GPS device, and continue on his path. In order to
study the function of landmarks, at a few certain points, the mobile subject
was not allowed to use the only visible landmark on the playa, which is
the huge mass of rocks called the Grandstand. With no landmarks available,
we will hopefully see the difference position fixing and how landmarks
affect its accuracy. This is different to how naval vessels operate out
in the middle of the ocean, where they seemingly have no points of reference,
especially at night. But out in the ocean, the navy incorporates the data
of land formations on the bottom of the ocean as points of reference,
whereas in our project, the mobile subject has absolutely no way to collect
that data as the surface of the playa is completely flat. We will be forcing
him to use his sense of visual perception of both the surrounding mountain
ranges and his perception of the borders of the playa, with only his previous
general knowledge of the layout of Racetrack Playa.
After forty minutes of navigation, the mobile subject had transmitted eightdescription
points for each predetermined five minute cycle. The following transmissions
are recorded over the radio…
| Time | Description | Time | Description |
| 1005 | 300-400ft W/NW of Grandstand in front of sign. | 1025 | 1/2mi W of eastern playa border; equidistant from northern and southern borders |
| 1010 | 300-400ft W/NW of Grandstand | 1030 | 1mi N of southern playa border; 7/10th E to W |
| 1015 | 300-400 ft N/NW of Grandstand | 1035 | 1/2mi N of southern playa border; 7/10th E to W |
| 1020 | 50ft W of Grandstand | 1040 | 1 mi S/SW of Grandstand |
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER MAP IMAGE
The
first thing you may notice is that the descriptions are much more generalized
when the mobile subject was stripped of being able to use the Grandstand
as a point of reference. Also it is interesting to note how the mobile subject
naturally falls to using fractions to describe his horizontal (East to West)
location, which would make sense as calculations are naturally based on
units and the amount of units involved. Also, as distances become greater,
the mobile unit is not as interested in giving an approximate distance,
such as the description noted at 10:10am, where he gives a relatively precise
area of 300-400ft, whereas when he was limited to using the edges of the
playa as points of reference, he began to use precise points instead of
locations, such as at 10:30am where he was 1 mile from the southern border
of the playa surface. Another interesting observation is the description
given at 10:05am, where he transmits over the radio that he is in front
of the sign. It seems natural to a human being during navigation that we
use points of reference, but points of reference that make sense to the
mobile subject definitely did not make sense to the isolated subject as
the "sign" was not a point of reference that exists on the map.
Hutchins explores this where he explains how points of reference are usually
very common points that everyone is familiar with, instead of using points
of reference such as 45 degrees from the blue house, which is a lot vaguer
than using a landmark such as the Statue of Liberty. Now let us take a look
at the data we've collected from the GPS device…
|
Time
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
Time
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
|
1005
|
448962.1
|
4061524
|
1025
|
449388.7
|
4060696
|
|
1010
|
448962.1
|
4061524
|
1030
|
449543.2
|
4060682
|
|
1015
|
449026.2
|
4060921
|
1035
|
449645.6
|
4060444
|
|
1020
|
449085.9
|
4060718
|
1040
|
449520.1
|
4059627
|
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER MAP IMAGE
When
mapped out, these GPS coordinates compared to the visual descriptions vary
quite a lot. The descriptions given when the mobile subject was not given
the Grandstand as a point of reference greatly differed from the actual
GPS coordinate position. There was also a discrepancy in direction from
the Grandstand as well. Human description when limited to 16 different directions
(N, N/NW, NW, W/NW, W, etc) is noticeably very inaccurate as well as human
depth perception when points of reference, or landmarks, are limited to
a single entity.
This research project shows us that human visualization of mapping is quite
inaccurate when predetermined fixed points are not available to use. It
also shows the limitations of human eyesight. However, if given a large
enough amount of error, the human being as a navigational machine is quite
remarkable as it can indeed position fix itself well enough when faced with
such limited data to use. This project broke down our normal everyday position
fixing and navigation into the simplest of elements, and yet the isolated
subject was still able to plot a general route of the mobile subject. Given
the route is definitely not as accurate to the GPS coordination, it can
be said that if the mobile subject was given more landmarks, such as those
that exist in a city environment, accuracy will definitely increase, maybe
to be as accurate as a GPS device.
-Raymond Ha