Sparse sensing with wing mechanosensory neurons for estimation of body rotation in flying insects
Abstract
Flying insects are remarkably adept at making rapid adjustments to stabilize their bodies in responseto gusts in the air; they accomplish this task using mere tens to hundreds of sensors locatedon their bodies, despite the complexity of the surrounding fluid. This strikingly efficient sensorymotorperformance is possible in part because many signals in nature exhibit simple patterns,so a few well-placed sensors may do well in capturing variations in key features required to decidea motor response. Curiously, the sensors used by insects do not resemble typical engineeredsensors—they fail to faithfully report physical measurement quantities—but are instead neuronswith complex internal properties. In this proposal, we hypothesize that biological properties ofneural sensors, rather than complicate and obscure information required by the insect to stabilizeflight, actually support a sensing strategy well matched with achieving rapid flight control. Oneof our objectives is to determine how sparse placement of a few key neural-inspired sensors on asimulated flapping wing may serve estimation of body rotation. Further, we will investigate howthe embodied computations of the wing may impact the dual functions of flapping wings to generateforce required for flight and to act as sensors for flight control. The proposal synthesizes toolsfrom structural modeling, neural recordings, and sparse sensing theory. This project will shedlight on hyper-efficient insect flight sensing and control, add to our understanding of embodiedcomputations, and may inspire novel engineering designs for autonomous aerial systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810114
Entities
People
- Bing W. Brunton
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Washington