Advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces and Neural Integration
Exploring Cross-Species Multimodal Communication from a Life Perspective: Current State and Future Prospects
Abstract
Xinmin Zhao and Feng Zhang
Traditionally, linguistics has focused primarily on human communication through visual and auditory modalities, while sensory modalities such as olfaction and gustation are relatively underutilized in human interaction, a trend influenced by evolutionary and societal factors. In contrast, animals employ a broad array of sensory modes in communication— olfactory, gustatory, photic, electromagnetic, and acoustic—thereby engaging in multimodal exchanges beyond the conventional realm of human language. This article reviews scientific discoveries, such as the role of pheromones in insect behavior and animals’ perception of electromagnetic fields and spectrums, to reveal the richness of multimodal and supralinguistic communication in animals, highlighting the limitations within human communication. Inspired by these sensory communication models, we explore how future technologies might expand human sensory capacity, especially in olfaction, taste, vision, and touch, enhancing the multimodal experience in human interaction. Through technological advancements, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, electronic noses, tongues, and brain-computer interfaces, humans could adopt more diverse forms of supralinguistic communication, thus surpassing the limitations of traditional language and achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the natural world. This study aims to envisage, from a linguistic perspective, the possibilities of sensory-enhanced communication through technological development, fostering a revolutionary transformation in human perception and communication and enriching the research domain of linguistics.