dariozancaThe following is a summarized and AI-curated English transcript of the podcast episode. While it aims to capture the key points and essence of the conversation, this is not a verbatim transcription. Some sections may be rephrased for clarity and readability.
Host: Dario Zanca
Guest: Monica Gori
Dario: Monica, your work focuses on multisensory perception. Let’s start from the beginning — even before birth, the brain begins to collect input from multiple sensory channels: sight, hearing, touch, motion… How do all these signals come together to form a single, coherent experience of reality?
Monica: That’s the big question, really — the one that keeps many of us in research. Sensory systems develop at different paces and times. The brain must not only track development within each sense but also across them. For example, your hand and arm grow at different rates, and the brain has to account for this to build a consistent body map.
Each sense builds its own representation of the world — vision maps space, hearing maps time. Multisensory integration is about aligning these maps. In infancy, babies can already localize a light or sound, but more complex spatial tasks — like judging distances between multiple objects — take years to develop, often up to age 10.
Dario: So the brain learns from the co-occurrence of events — like a visual and auditory signal happening together?
Monica: Yes. That’s called causal inference. The brain tries to decide if two stimuli come from the same event. It looks at how closely they’re aligned in time and space. If they’re close enough, the brain assumes a common cause and integrates the information to gain precision and efficiency.
Dario: Would you say that simplification is a core goal of perception? Grouping complexity into manageable chunks?
Monica: Absolutely. But also, the brain uses priors — assumptions built from experience — to simplify. One classic prior is that light comes from above. Over time, we learn patterns like these and use them to interpret the world more efficiently.
Dario: Does this mean that everyone experiences the world in the same way? Or are our internal representations different based on our unique sensory experiences?
Monica: That’s another fascinating question. There’s growing research on inter-individual differences — how different people perceive differently. For instance, in spatial navigation tasks, some people rely more on visual cues, others on proprioception.
Even simple visual illusions like the famous face-vase illusion show that perception can vary dramatically between people. That’s why I believe learning should be multisensory — to accommodate different perceptual styles and to foster inclusion.
Dario: That connects with your research on children with visual impairments. Is it true that when one sense is missing, others become more developed?
Monica: Sometimes. For example, blind individuals often develop heightened auditory or tactile precision. But not always — for complex spatial tasks requiring visual mapping, like spatial bisection, even auditory perception can be impaired.
Interestingly, we found that blind people often use time to understand space. If spatial distance is hard to judge, they use temporal cues — like how fast a sound travels — to infer it.
Dario: That’s really compelling. It shows how flexible and adaptive the brain is. I know you developed a technology called Abbi. Can you tell us more about that?
Monica: Of course. Abbi is a wearable sound bracelet designed for visually impaired children. At around 4–5 months of age, babies begin to associate their body movements with visual feedback — that’s how they build a sense of body ownership.
Blind children lack this visual feedback, so Abbi adds sound to movement. When they move their arms, they hear a sound, helping them localize and “feel” their body in space. Over time, even adults using Abbi can recalibrate their spatial perception using auditory cues. The feedback essentially re-trains the brain to align internal body maps with external space.
Dario: And this project is now evolving?
Monica: Yes. After nearly 20 years of research and validation, we’re launching Sobu, the commercial version of Abbi. We’ve also developed technologies for even younger children through a project called IIRICH, and expanded internationally — we recently deployed Abbi in Ethiopia to help children recovering from cataract surgery.
Dario: That’s amazing. I wanted to ask — could these technologies eventually enhance human senses, even beyond what’s typical?
Monica: Potentially, yes. There’s a research project exploring new perceptual modalities, like echolocation. Even sighted people can learn to echolocate with some training. The brain is incredibly plastic.
We’re still far from truly integrating new senses into the brain — especially with non-invasive tech — but we’re moving fast. Brain-computer interfaces are a promising field, though current EEG-based systems are still quite limited.
Dario: And what’s your vision for the future? Where should research focus its energy next?
Monica: Early intervention. If we can reach children at the earliest stages — even months after birth — we can prevent delays in crucial developmental milestones. That can change a child’s entire life trajectory.
We’re also working on educational content for deaf children, using AI and multisensory formats. Right now, only around 5% of deaf individuals enter the workforce. That’s unacceptable. Inclusive technology has the power to change that — but it’s our responsibility, as researchers and technologists, to make it happen.
Dario: Monica, thank you. Your work is incredibly inspiring, and your team’s dedication is shaping a better, more inclusive future.
Monica: Thank you, Dario. It’s been a pleasure.