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Navigating through a volumetric world does not imply needing a full three-dimensional representation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2013

Claus-Christian Carbon
Affiliation:
Department of General Psychology and Methodology and Graduate School of Affective and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bamberg, D-96047 Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany. ccc@experimental-psychology.comwww.experimental-psychology.comvera.hesslinger@uni-bamberg.de
Vera M. Hesslinger
Affiliation:
Department of General Psychology and Methodology and Graduate School of Affective and Cognitive Sciences, University of Bamberg, D-96047 Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany. ccc@experimental-psychology.comwww.experimental-psychology.comvera.hesslinger@uni-bamberg.de

Abstract

Jeffery et al. extensively and thoroughly describe how different species navigate through a three-dimensional environment. Undeniably, the world offers numerous three-dimensional opportunities. However, we argue that for most navigation tasks a two-dimensional representation is nevertheless sufficient, as physical conditions and limitations such as gravity, thermoclines, or layers of earth encountered in a specific situation provide the very elevation data the navigating individual needs.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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