PMC8631174_01
Rationality as the match between heuristics and environment. Left side: The adaptive toolbox of an individual or species, with heuristics that are embodied in sensory capacities and motor abilities. Right side: The environment, including the goals of individual or species and their physical and social structure. The ecological rationality of a heuristic is measured by the degree to which it can attain a goal.
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Figure 1 shows the general framework.
Gaze heuristic. The player adjusts the running speed so that the angle of gaze remains constant. The angle of gaze is the angle between the line from eye to ball and the ground. Shown is the player's position relative to the ball for four points in time.
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Experienced players catch a fly ball by using a heuristic that has absolutely nothing to do with calculating a trajectory (Figure 2).
Predators (dark hawks) pursuing prey (white ducks). From top left to bottom right: Direct pursuit heuristic: A predator flies in the direction that is the shortest path to the prey, and adjusts the direction when the prey changes its course. If predator and prey fly at the same speed, the result is a characteristic wavering pursuit pattern. Gaze heuristic: A predator determines the angle alpha between the direct line to the prey and the initial estimate X of the intersection point, and then adjusts its direction to the subsequent flight path of the duck so that alpha remains constant. Even when both predator and prey fly at the same speed, the predator can intercept the prey. Predator relies on gaze heuristic, but prey has faster cycling rate: The number of adjustments an animal can make per second is its cycling rate, represented by the length A of its path before it can change its direction. Here, the prey has a faster cycling rate than the predator, which enables it to evade the predator. Predator relies on gaze heuristic and can increase cycling rate: Here, the predator has the ability to increase the cycling rate from A to B, which is higher than that of the prey, resulting in fast interception. Adapted from.
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How does a hawk intercept a duck? Figure 3 (top) shows two strategies for interception. The comparison between direct pursuit and the gaze heuristic in Figure 3 indicates why: Relying on the latter allows for faster interception and avoids the wavering tail chase. Figure 3 (bottom left panel) shows a prey with a faster cycling rate than the hawk that avoids interception by changing its course before the hawk is able to do so. The echolocation version of the gaze heuristic works as described in Figure 3, except that the angle alpha is based on echolocation rather than visual location. The pursuit strategy vectors the fighter behind its opponent, just as the hawk trails behind the duck in Figure 3 (top left panel), and leads to a smaller rate of interception.
British controllers relied on the gaze heuristic to direct fighter planes to intercept German bombers. From.
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Shortly before interception, the faster fighter could turn around and meet the bomber frontally, where it was most vulnerable (Figure 4).