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Emerging Multimodal Artificial Sensory Fusion Paradigms Toward Advanced Embodied Intelligence
Yang Guo1, Yihua Huang1, Xianyun Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|July 22, 2026
Summary
Artificial multimodal sensory fusion enhances embodied intelligence by integrating digital and physical realities. This review analyzes fusion approaches, mechanisms, and biomimetic paradigms for improved perception and decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
- Biomimetic Engineering
- Sensory Systems
Background:
- Embodied intelligence requires seamless integration of digital and physical realms.
- Multimodal sensory fusion enables agents to process diverse information streams.
- Existing literature lacks a systematic review of artificial multimodal sensory fusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of artificial multimodal sensory fusion.
- To analyze various fusion configurations, sensor mechanisms, and artificial synapses.
- To critically examine biomimetic fusion paradigms and their applications.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of multimodal sensory fusion.
- Analysis of sensor operating mechanisms and artificial synapse functionalities.
- Critical evaluation of biomimetic fusion paradigms (e.g., visual-tactile, visual-olfactory).
Main Results:
- Detailed analysis of multimodal sensory fusion configurations and mechanisms.
- In-depth discussion of biomimetic fusion paradigms, including device structure and fusion strategies.
- Identification of multisensory fusion systems' potential across various application fields.
Conclusions:
- Artificial multimodal sensory fusion is crucial for advancing embodied intelligence.
- Further research into fusion strategies and applications is inspired by this review.
- Multimodal sensing fusion facilitates the development of more human-level artificial agents.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
01:26Introduction to Special Senses
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
01:27Tactile and Chemical Senses
Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
01:20Parallel Processing
The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.