aistiinformaatio

Aistiinformaatio is a term used in Finnish-language contexts to denote information obtained from the senses that reflect properties of the external world or internal bodily states. It encompasses data produced by biological sensory systems as well as data from artificial sensors used in technology. The concept is used across neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, human–computer interaction, and robotics to study how sensory data are collected, transmitted, encoded, and interpreted.

Common modalities include visual information from the eyes, auditory information from the ears, somatosensory information such as touch, temperature, and pain, olfactory and gustatory information for smell and taste, and vestibular and proprioceptive signals for balance and body position. In engineered systems, cameras, microphones, tactile sensors, chemical sensors, and inertial measurement units provide analogous data.

Once collected, aistiinformaatio undergoes processing: early transduction converts physical stimuli into neural or digital signals; higher-level processing integrates across modalities, filters noise, and links with memory and expectations. The reliability, resolution, and timing of information transmission influence perception and action. Research also covers sensory integration, attention, encoding and decoding methods, and attempts to augment or substitute sensory channels.

Applications include the design of user interfaces that align with natural sensory channels, sensor fusion in robotics, immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, and clinical assessment of sensory function. The study of aistiinformaatio also raises questions about privacy, safety, and the effects of sensory overload in everyday environments.