Fernando Bermejo

Sensory substitution: an approach to the experimental study of perception / Sustitución sensorial: un abordaje para el estudio experimental de la percepción

Abstract Sensory substitution refers to the phenomenon where object and environment information normally acquired through one sense can be obtained by another sense. For example, visual input being provided by hearing or touching. Sensory substitution devices are technological designs that transform the characteristics of one sensory modality into stimuli of another sensory modality. These devices were developed with two purposes: (1) to assist people with sensory disabilities in daily tasks; and (2) to study the involved mechanisms of brain plasticity. This article reviews studies in which sensory substitution phenomenon is employed as a methodological strategy to study visual perception. Furthermore, its use is discussed as an experimental platform to contrast new perceptual theories and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms that are currently under review.

CINTRA: from an interdisciplinary centre on acoustics towards an intra-inter synergetic network

Acoustics is an inherently interdisciplinary science involved in the study and remediation of very hot social topics. For its part, the university has a crucial role in knowledge generation with social responsibility heading to an equalitarian society. Argentinean scientific policy, promotes: a) interdisciplinary and inter institutional scientific teams, b) an unified national system of science and technology and c) the linkage of this system with educational and productive sectors. At the same time, new paradigms of higher education give a central place to the student learning process of research abilities. In such complex scenario a research center has a key role in achieving these goals. Nowadays CINTRA (Centro de Investigacion y Transferencia en Acustica) is involved in a collective construction pointing towards innovative dynamics encouraging the emergence of synergetic networks in which theory-practice and research-technology are naturally joined. This paper describes three CINTRA’s ongoing programs...