Cognitive Science Faculty

John H. Long, Jr.

home department: Biology
office: Olmsted Hall 317
phone: (845) 437-7305
Contact John Long

Dr. Long combines biological and engineering approaches to analyze and synthesize the behavior, mechanics, and evolution of swimming animals. Current research, in collaboration with Adam Lammert (Cognitive Science major, class of '04) and Joseph Schumacher (Cognitive Science major, class of '05), seeks to build biomimetic swimming robots to test biological theory of neural control, perception-action coupling, and the mechanical origins of vertebral columns.

In another on-going collaboration, Dr. Long is working with Nekton Research LLC of Durham, North Carolina, to design and build a four-finned underwater robot, the Madeleine (so named because of its hull's resemblance to the scallop-shaped French dessert), to test biological theory about the mechanical interaction and neural control of multiple fins. As of the fall of 2004, the Madeleine has been launched as a remotely-operated vehicle for initial trials and breaking in. With on-board sensors (sonar, video, depth, altimeter, accelerometer), Madeleine is ready to be upgraded to full autonomy this fall using a hybrid subsumption architecture.