Introduction to The Symposium: “The Role of Mechanosensation in Robust Locomotion”

Abstract

Synopsis Mechanosensory information is a critical component of organismal movement control systems. Understanding the role mechanosensation plays in modulating organismal behavior requires inherently multidisciplinary research programs that reach across biological scales. Recently, there have been rapid advances in discerning how mechanosensory mechanisms are integrated into neural control systems and the impact mechanosensory information has on behavior. Thus, the Symposium “The Role of Mechanosensation in Robust Locomotion” at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology was convened to discuss these recent advances, compare and contrast different systems, share experimental advice, and inspire collaborative approaches to expand and synthesize knowledge. The diverse set of speakers presented on a variety of vertebrate, invertebrate and robotic systems. Discussion at the symposium resulted in a series of manuscripts presented in this issue that address issues facing the broader field, mechanisms of mechanosensation, organismal function and biomechanics, and sensing in ecological and social contexts.