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DFG Project "Virtual Fish" 
- Biology and Computer Science working together

In the interdisciplinary research project "Analysis by synthesis with virtual fish as a new experimental method in studies on mate choice", in short "Virtual Fish", the Institute of Biology and the Institute for Real-Time Learning Systems, of the University of Siegen, develop an interactive simulation software (FishSim) with virtual 3D fish models of sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna). The project is financed by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschft DFG (Wi 1531/12-1 und KU 689/11-1).  The aim of the project is to find out what information the fish use during mate choice. Virtual fish models offer the possibility to change individual parameters, such as the fin size, leaving all other factors constant. This creates highly controlled experimental conditions and allows a more accurate determination of the relevance of the quantity and quality of the provided information.

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In addition to the appearance of the virtual fish, its behavior towards the real fish is also important. Unlike live fish, the virtual fish cannot see and therefore not respond to the movements of live fish. To compensate for this handicap, a "camera eye" for the virtual fish was installed. Generally, systems that follow the position of objects (in this case of fish) are referred to as tracking systems. In the project presented here, an innovative new tracking system is developed and studied by the computer-science team: the analysis-by-synthesis method. This method offers the possibility of using information of the model to extract accurate 3D position and orientation data with only one camera. Current tracking systems usually require multiple cameras to calculate precise 3D information.

More information on the research

of the Institute of Biology.

More information on the research of the

Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems.

Publications in the project "Virtual Fish"

  1.  Witte K, Gierszewski S, Chouinard-Thuly L (Guest Editors) "Virtual Reality" Special Issue in Current Zoology
     

  2. Chouinard-Thuly L*, Gierszewski S*, Rosenthal G, Reader SM, Rieucau G, Woo KL, Gerlai R, Tedore C, Ingley SJ, Stowers J, Frommen JG, Dolins FL & Witte K (submitted) Best practices when using virtual stimuli in animal behavior research. Current Zoology Special Issue “Virtual Reality” (*equal contribution)
     

  3. Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Gierszewski S, Witte K, Kuhnert KD (submitted) The virtual lover - Variable and easy guided 3D fish animations as innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies. I. Design and implementation. Current Zoology Special Issue “Virtual Reality”
     

  4. Gierszewski S, Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Kuhnert KD, Witte K. (in review) The virtual lover - Variable and easy guided 3D fish animations as innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies. II. Validation. Current Zoology Special Issue “Virtual Reality”
     

  5. Müller K, Smielik I,  Kuhnert KD (2016) Optimal feature-set selection controlled by pose-space location. Accepted at VISAPP 2016 - International Conference on Computer Vision, Theory and Applications, Feb. 27 - 29, 2016, Rome, Italy
     

  6. Smielik I, Müller K, Kuhnert KD (2015) Fish motion simulation. ESM 2015 - 29th European Simulation and Modelling Conference Proceedings: 392-396.
     

  7. Müller K, Schlemper J, Kuhnert L, Kuhnert KD (2014) Calibration and 3D ground truth data generation with orthogonal camera-setup and refraction compensation for aquaria in real-time. VISAPP - Computer Vision, Theory and Applications 3: 626-634.

 

Events

 

November 2015: Participation in the "Science-Schau-Fenster" Event in the City of Siegen, Germany.

 

August 2015: Organisation of an International Symposium 

Organisation of the symposium “Virtual reality: computer animation as tool in animal behavior research” including a workshop on the same topic at the 34th International Ethological Conference in Cairns, Australia.

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Talks/posters at conferences

[Talk] Müller K, Smielik I, Kuhnert KD (2016) Optimal feature-set selection controlled by pose-space location. VISAPP 2016 - International Conference on Computer Vision, Theory and Applications, Feb. 27 - 29, 2016, Rome, Italy

[Talk] Gierszewski S, Müller K, Hütwohl JM, Smielik I, Kuhnert KD, Witte K (2015) Das Versuchstier der Zukunft? – Einsatzmöglichkeiten virtueller Fischmodelle in Partnerwahlexperimenten mit Breitflossenkärpflingen (Poecilia latipinna). 12. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Ichthyologie (GfI), Berlin, Germany

[Talk] Smielik I, Müller K, Kuhnert KD (2015) Fish motion simulation. 29th European Simulation and Modelling Conference - ESM'2015, Holiday Inn, Leicester, United Kingdom, October 26-28, 2015

[Talk] Gierszewski S, Müller K, Hütwohl JM, Smielik I, Kuhnert KD, Witte K (2015) Validation of a virtual 3-D fish model for studying mate-choice copying in sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna). “Virtual Reality”-Symposium bei der 34th International Ethological Conference (Behaviour 2015), Cairns, Australien

[Poster] Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Gierszewski S, Witte K, Kuhnert KD (2015) Bring the virtual fish to life – a toolchain for creating interactive 3-D fish animations for behaviour studies. “Virtual Reality”-Symposium bei der 34th International Ethological Conference (Behaviour 2015), Cairns, Australien
 

[Poster]  Gierszewski S, Müller K, Kuhnert KD, Witte K (2014) The virtual Lover – Do real fish interact with 3-D fish in questions of mate-choice? 107. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft, Göttingen, Germany ; 6th Conference of Poeciliid Biologists, Exeter, UK; XV Congress of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, New York City, USA
 

[Talk] Müller K, Schlemper J, Kuhnert L, Kuhnert KD (2014) Calibration and 3D ground truth data generation with orthogonal camera-setup and refraction compensation for aquaria in real-time. VISAPP 2014 - International Conference on Computer Vision, Theory and Applications, Jan. 5 - 8, 2014, Lisbon, Portugal

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