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Papaspyros V, Theraulaz G, Sire C, Mondada F. Quantifying the biomimicry gap in biohybrid robot-fish pairs. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2024; 19:046020. [PMID: 38866031 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad577a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Biohybrid systems in which robotic lures interact with animals have become compelling tools for probing and identifying the mechanisms underlying collective animal behavior. One key challenge lies in the transfer of social interaction models from simulations to reality, using robotics to validate the modeling hypotheses. This challenge arises in bridging what we term the 'biomimicry gap', which is caused by imperfect robotic replicas, communication cues and physics constraints not incorporated in the simulations, that may elicit unrealistic behavioral responses in animals. In this work, we used a biomimetic lure of a rummy-nose tetra fish (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) and a neural network (NN) model for generating biomimetic social interactions. Through experiments with a biohybrid pair comprising a fish and the robotic lure, a pair of real fish, and simulations of pairs of fish, we demonstrate that our biohybrid system generates social interactions mirroring those of genuine fish pairs. Our analyses highlight that: 1) the lure and NN maintain minimal deviation in real-world interactions compared to simulations and fish-only experiments, 2) our NN controls the robot efficiently in real-time, and 3) a comprehensive validation is crucial to bridge the biomimicry gap, ensuring realistic biohybrid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaios Papaspyros
- Mobile Robotic Systems (MOBOTS) group, School of Computer Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guy Theraulaz
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative, CNRS, Université de Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Clément Sire
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, CNRS, Université de Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Francesco Mondada
- Mobile Robotic Systems (MOBOTS) group, School of Computer Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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2
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Van Havermaet S, Khaluf Y, Simoens P. Reactive shepherding along a dynamic path. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14915. [PMID: 38942794 PMCID: PMC11213918 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65894-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Shepherding, the task of guiding a herd of autonomous individuals in a desired direction, is an essential skill employed in the herding of animals, crowd control, and evacuation operations. Integrating shepherding capabilities into robots holds promise to perform such tasks with increased efficiency and reduced labor costs. To date, robotic shepherds have only been designed to steer a herd towards a predetermined goal location without constraints on the trajectory. However, the tasks of a sheepdog encompass not only steering the herd but also (i) maintaining the herd within a designated area and (ii) averting dangers, obstacles, or undesirable terrain such as newly sown land. We present a decentralized control algorithm for multi-robot shepherding designed to guide a group of animals along a specified path delineated by two boundaries. The algorithm incorporates the additional objective of preserving the group within these boundaries. Simulation results reveal that, especially in sections of the path with sharp turns and a small distance between the boundaries, the group exhibits a tendency to deviate beyond the prescribed margin. Additionally, our findings emphasize the algorithm's sensitivity to the ratio of robot-group sizes and the magnitude of the group's velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stef Van Havermaet
- IDLab, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, B-9052, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Yara Khaluf
- IDLab, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, B-9052, Gent, Belgium
- Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, 6706KN, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter Simoens
- IDLab, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University - imec, B-9052, Gent, Belgium
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3
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Romano D, Benelli G, Stefanini C. How aggressive interactions with biomimetic agents optimize reproductive performances in mass-reared males of the Mediterranean fruit fly. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2023:10.1007/s00422-023-00965-w. [PMID: 37256317 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-023-00965-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Mass-rearing procedures of insect species, often used in biological control and Sterile Insect Technique, can reduce the insects competitiveness in foraging, dispersal, and mating. The evocation of certain behaviours responsible to induce specific neuroendocrine products may restore or improve the competitiveness of mass-reared individuals. Herein, we used a mass-reared strain of Ceratitis capitata as model organism. C. capitata is a polyphagous pest exhibiting territorial displays that are closely related to its reproductive performance. We tested if the behaviour of C. capitata males could be altered by hybrid aggressive interactions with a conspecific-mimicking robotic fly, leading to more competitive individuals in subsequent mating events. Aggressive interactions with the robotic fly had a notable effect on subsequent courtship and mating sequences of males that performed longer courtship displays compared to naïve individuals. Furthermore, previous interactions with the robotic fly produced a higher mating success of males. Reproductive performances of C. capitata males may be improved by specific octopaminergic neurones activated during previous aggressive interactions with the robotic fly. This study adds fundamental knowledge on the potential role of specific neuro-behavioural processes in the ecology of tephritid species and paves the way to innovative biotechnological control methods based on robotics and bionics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56127, Pisa, Italy
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Maxeiner M, Hocke M, Moenck HJ, Gebhardt GHW, Weimar N, Musiolek L, Krause J, Bierbach D, Landgraf T. Social competence improves the performance of biomimetic robots leading live fish. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2023; 18. [PMID: 37015241 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/acca59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Collective motion is commonly modeled with static interaction rules between agents. Substantial empirical evidence indicates, however, that animals may adapt their interaction rules depending on a variety of factors and social contexts. Here, we hypothesized that leadership performance is linked to the leader's responsiveness to the follower's actions and we predicted that a leader is followed longer if it adapts to the follower's avoidance movements. We tested this prediction with live guppies that interacted with a biomimetic robotic fish programmed to act as a 'socially competent' leader. Fish that were avoiding the robot were approached more carefully in future approaches. In two separate experiments we then asked how the leadership performance of the socially competent robot leader differed to that of a robot leader that either approached all fish in the same, non-responsive, way or one that did change its approach behavior randomly, irrespective of the fish's actions. We found that (1) behavioral variability itself appears attractive and that socially competent robots are better leaders which (2) require fewer approach attempts to (3) elicit longer average following behavior than non-competent agents. This work provides evidence that social responsiveness to avoidance reactions plays a role in the social dynamics of guppies. We showcase how social responsiveness can be modeled and tested directly embedded in a living animal model using adaptive, interactive robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Maxeiner
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mathis Hocke
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hauke J Moenck
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor H W Gebhardt
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Computational Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nils Weimar
- Institute of Zoology, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lea Musiolek
- Department of Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence 'Science of Intelligence', Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence 'Science of Intelligence', Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence 'Science of Intelligence', Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence 'Science of Intelligence', Technical University of Berlin, Marchstrasse 23, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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Abdai J, Miklósi Á. After 150 years of watching: is there a need for synthetic ethology? Anim Cogn 2023; 26:261-274. [PMID: 36445574 PMCID: PMC9877063 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01719-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Darwinian idea of mental continuity is about 150 years old. Although nobody has strongly denied this evolutionary link, both conceptually and practically, relative slow advance has been made by ethology and comparative psychology to quantify mental evolution. Debates on the mechanistic interpretation of cognition often struggle with the same old issues (e.g., associationism vs cognitivism), and in general, experimental methods have made also relative slow progress since the introduction of the puzzle box. In this paper, we illustrate the prevailing issues using examples on 'mental state attribution' and 'perspective taking" and argue that the situation could be improved by the introduction of novel methodological inventions and insights. We suggest that focusing on problem-solving skills and constructing artificial agents that aim to correspond and interact with biological ones, may help to understand the functioning of the mind. We urge the establishment of a novel approach, synthetic ethology, in which researchers take on a practical stance and construct artificial embodied minds relying of specific computational architectures the performance of which can be compared directly to biological agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Abdai
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary ,Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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Bierbach D, Gómez-Nava L, Francisco FA, Lukas J, Musiolek L, Hafner VV, Landgraf T, Romanczuk P, Krause J. Live fish learn to anticipate the movement of a fish-like robot . BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:065007. [PMID: 36044889 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac8e3e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ability of an individual to predict the outcome of the actions of others and to change their own behavior adaptively is called anticipation. There are many examples from mammalian species-including humans-that show anticipatory abilities in a social context, however, it is not clear to what extent fishes can anticipate the actions of their interaction partners or what the underlying mechanisms are for that anticipation. To answer these questions, we let live guppies (Poecilia reticulata) interact repeatedly with an open-loop (noninteractive) biomimetic robot that has previously been shown to be an accepted conspecific. The robot always performed the same zigzag trajectory in the experimental tank that ended in one of the corners, giving the live fish the opportunity to learn both the location of the final destination as well as the specific turning movement of the robot over three consecutive trials. The live fish's reactions were categorized into a global anticipation, which we defined as relative time to reach the robot's final corner, and a local anticipation which was the relative time and location of the live fish's turns relative to robofish turns. As a proxy for global anticipation, we found that live fish in the last trial reached the robot's destination corner significantly earlier than the robot. Overall, more than 50% of all fish arrived at the destination before the robot. This is more than a random walk model would predict and significantly more compared to all other equidistant, yet unvisited, corners. As a proxy for local anticipation, we found fish change their turning behavior in response to the robot over the course of the trials. Initially, the fish would turn after the robot, which was reversed in the end, as they began to turn slightly before the robot in the final trial. Our results indicate that live fish are able to anticipate predictably behaving social partners both in regard to final movement locations as well as movement dynamics. Given that fish have been found to exhibit consistent behavioral differences, anticipation in fish could have evolved as a mechanism to adapt to different social interaction partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bierbach
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Luis Gómez-Nava
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz A Francisco
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Lukas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Musiolek
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Adaptive Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Verena V Hafner
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Adaptive Systems Group, Department of Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster 'Science of Intelligence', Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
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7
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Stefanec M, Hofstadler DN, Krajník T, Turgut AE, Alemdar H, Lennox B, Şahin E, Arvin F, Schmickl T. A Minimally Invasive Approach Towards “Ecosystem Hacking” With Honeybees. Front Robot AI 2022; 9:791921. [PMID: 35572369 PMCID: PMC9096355 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2022.791921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees live in colonies of thousands of individuals, that not only need to collaborate with each other but also to interact intensively with their ecosystem. A small group of robots operating in a honey bee colony and interacting with the queen bee, a central colony element, has the potential to change the collective behavior of the entire colony and thus also improve its interaction with the surrounding ecosystem. Such a system can be used to study and understand many elements of bee behavior within hives that have not been adequately researched. We discuss here the applicability of this technology for ecosystem protection: A novel paradigm of a minimally invasive form of conservation through “Ecosystem Hacking”. We discuss the necessary requirements for such technology and show experimental data on the dynamics of the natural queen’s court, initial designs of biomimetic robotic surrogates of court bees, and a multi-agent model of the queen bee court system. Our model is intended to serve as an AI-enhanceable coordination software for future robotic court bee surrogates and as a hardware controller for generating nature-like behavior patterns for such a robotic ensemble. It is the first step towards a team of robots working in a bio-compatible way to study honey bees and to increase their pollination performance, thus achieving a stabilizing effect at the ecosystem level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stefanec
- Artificial Life Lab, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- *Correspondence: Martin Stefanec,
| | | | - Tomáš Krajník
- Artificial Intelligence Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ali Emre Turgut
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
- ROMER-Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Hande Alemdar
- ROMER-Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Department of Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Barry Lennox
- Department of Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Erol Şahin
- ROMER-Center for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
- Department of Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Farshad Arvin
- Department of Computer Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Artificial Life Lab, Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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8
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Romano D, Stefanini C. Robot-Fish Interaction Helps to Trigger Social Buffering in Neon Tetras: The Potential Role of Social Robotics in Treating Anxiety. Int J Soc Robot 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12369-021-00829-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe emerging field of social robotics comprises several multidisciplinary applications. Anxiety and stress therapies can greatly benefit by socio-emotional support provided by robots, although the intervention of social robots as effective treatment needs to be fully understood. Herein, Paracheirodon innesi, a social fish species, was used to interact with a robotic fish to understand intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms causing anxiety, and how social robots can be effectively used as anxiety treatments. In the first experiment we tested the effects of a conspecific-mimicking robot on the fish tendency to swim in the bottom when transferred in a new tank. Here, P. innesi spent a significantly longer time in the upper section of the test tank when the robotic fish was present, clearly indicating a reduction of their state of anxiety due to social stimuli. The second experiment was based on a modification of the dark/light preference test, since many teleost fish are scototactic, preferring dark environments. However, when the robotic fish was placed in the white half of the test tank, P. innesi individuals swam longer in this section otherwise aversive. Social support provided by the robotic fish in both experiments produced a better recovery from anxiety due to social buffering, a phenomenon regulated by specific neural mechanisms. This study provides new insights on the evolution and mechanisms of social buffering to reduce anxiety, as well as on the use of social robots as an alternative to traditional approaches in treating anxiety symptoms.
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9
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Gartland LA, Firth JA, Laskowski KL, Jeanson R, Ioannou CC. Sociability as a personality trait in animals: methods, causes and consequences. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:802-816. [PMID: 34894041 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Within animal populations there is variation among individuals in their tendency to be social, where more sociable individuals associate more with other individuals. Consistent inter-individual variation in 'sociability' is considered one of the major axes of personality variation in animals along with aggressiveness, activity, exploration and boldness. Not only is variation in sociability important in terms of animal personalities, but it holds particular significance for, and can be informed by, two other topics of major interest: social networks and collective behaviour. Further, knowledge of what generates inter-individual variation in social behaviour also holds applied implications, such as understanding disorders of social behaviour in humans. In turn, research using non-human animals in the genetics, neuroscience and physiology of these disorders can inform our understanding of sociability. For the first time, this review brings together insights across these areas of research, across animal taxa from primates to invertebrates, and across studies from both the laboratory and field. We show there are mixed results in whether and how sociability correlates with other major behavioural traits. Whether and in what direction these correlations are observed may differ with individual traits such as sex and body condition, as well as ecological conditions. A large body of evidence provides the proximate mechanisms for why individuals vary in their social tendency. Evidence exists for the importance of genes and their expression, chemical messengers, social interactions and the environment in determining an individual's social tendency, although the specifics vary with species and other variables such as age, and interactions amongst these proximate factors. Less well understood is how evolution can maintain consistent variation in social tendencies within populations. Shifts in the benefits and costs of social tendencies over time, as well as the social niche hypothesis, are currently the best supported theories for how variation in sociability can evolve and be maintained in populations. Increased exposure to infectious diseases is the best documented cost of a greater social tendency, and benefits include greater access to socially transmitted information. We also highlight that direct evidence for more sociable individuals being safer from predators is lacking. Variation in sociability is likely to have broad ecological consequences, but beyond its importance in the spread of infectious diseases, direct evidence is limited to a few examples related to dispersal and invasive species biology. Overall, our knowledge of inter-individual variation in sociability is highly skewed towards the proximate mechanisms. Our review also demonstrates, however, that considering research from social networks and collective behaviour greatly enriches our understanding of sociability, highlighting the need for greater integration of these approaches into future animal personality research to address the imbalance in our understanding of sociability as a personality trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizzy A Gartland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K
| | - Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Kate L Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Raphael Jeanson
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (UMR5169), Centre de Biologie Intégrative, CNRS, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K
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10
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Worm M, Landgraf T, von der Emde G. Electric signal synchronization as a behavioural strategy to generate social attention in small groups of mormyrid weakly electric fish and a mobile fish robot. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2021; 115:599-613. [PMID: 34398266 PMCID: PMC8642351 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00892-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
African weakly electric fish communicate at night by constantly emitting and perceiving brief electrical signals (electric organ discharges, EOD) at variable inter-discharge intervals (IDI). While the waveform of single EODs contains information about the sender's identity, the variable IDI patterns convey information about its current motivational and behavioural state. Pairs of fish can synchronize their EODs to each other via echo responses, and we have previously formulated a 'social attention hypothesis' stating that fish use echo responses to address specific individuals and establish brief dyadic communication frameworks within a group. Here, we employed a mobile fish robot to investigate the behaviour of small groups of up to four Mormyrus rume and characterized the social situations during which synchronizations occurred. An EOD-emitting robot reliably evoked social following behaviour, which was strongest in smaller groups and declined with increasing group size. We did not find significant differences in motor behaviour of M. rume with either an interactive playback (echo response) or a random control playback by the robot. Still, the robot reliably elicited mutual synchronizations with other fish. Synchronizations mostly occurred during relatively close social interactions, usually when the fish that initiated synchronization approached either the robot or another fish from a distance. The results support our social attention hypothesis and suggest that electric signal synchronization might facilitate the exchange of social information during a wide range of social behaviours from aggressive territorial displays to shoaling and even cooperative hunting in some mormyrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Worm
- Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, Bonn, Germany
- Stingray Marine Solutions AS, Stålfjæra 5, 0975, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Dahlem Center for Machine Learning and Robotics, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard von der Emde
- Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, Bonn, Germany.
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11
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Brown AA, Brown MF, Folk SR, Utter BA. Archerfish respond to a hunting robotic conspecific. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2021; 115:585-598. [PMID: 34272968 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00885-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While the unique hunting behavior of archerfish has received considerable scientific attention, the specific social cues that govern behaviors like intraspecific kleptoparasitism in the species are less understood. This paper asks whether the use of a robotic facsimile representing an archerfish can elicit a social response if it approximates an archerfish's appearance, along with key features of its hunting behavior. We found that the fish respond to the robot when it hunted, as indicated by decreasing distances between the robot and fish (and among the fish) during the robot's hunting behavior sequence, as well as higher net transfer entropy when the robot was hunting. These effects were present even when the robot's "hunt" was unproductive and did not result in food. The temporal pattern of fish approach to the robot and each other indicated that the segment of robot hunting behavior proximal to the robotic facsimile shot elicited fish behavior initially. However, earlier cues in the robot's hunting sequence became important following more experience with a food contingency. This indicates that further studies could use a robotic facsimile to conduct a detailed stimulus analysis, changing aspects of the robot's appearance and behavior to uncover the basic mechanisms of information transfer among individuals in a social hunting scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Brown
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, USA.
| | - Michael F Brown
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
| | - Spencer R Folk
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, USA
| | - Brent A Utter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, USA
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12
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Zanon M, Lemaire BS, Vallortigara G. Steps towards a computational ethology: an automatized, interactive setup to investigate filial imprinting and biological predispositions. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2021; 115:575-584. [PMID: 34272970 PMCID: PMC8642325 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00886-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soon after hatching, the young of precocial species, such as domestic chicks or ducklings, learn to recognize their social partner by simply being exposed to it (imprinting process). Even artificial objects or stimuli displayed on monitor screens can effectively trigger filial imprinting, though learning is canalized by spontaneous preferences for animacy signals, such as certain kinds of motion or a face-like appearance. Imprinting is used as a behavioural paradigm for studies on memory formation, early learning and predispositions, as well as number and space cognition, and brain asymmetries. Here, we present an automatized setup to expose and/or test animals for a variety of imprinting experiments. The setup consists of a cage with two high-frequency screens at the opposite ends where stimuli are shown. Provided with a camera covering the whole space of the cage, the behaviour of the animal is recorded continuously. A graphic user interface implemented in Matlab allows a custom configuration of the experimental protocol, that together with Psychtoolbox drives the presentation of images on the screens, with accurate time scheduling and a highly precise framerate. The setup can be implemented into a complete workflow to analyse behaviour in a fully automatized way by combining Matlab (and Psychtoolbox) to control the monitor screens and stimuli, DeepLabCut to track animals' behaviour, Python (and R) to extract data and perform statistical analyses. The automated setup allows neuro-behavioural scientists to perform standardized protocols during their experiments, with faster data collection and analyses, and reproducible results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Zanon
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Bastien S Lemaire
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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Schmickl T, Szopek M, Mondada F, Mills R, Stefanec M, Hofstadler DN, Lazic D, Barmak R, Bonnet F, Zahadat P. Social Integrating Robots Suggest Mitigation Strategies for Ecosystem Decay. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:612605. [PMID: 34109162 PMCID: PMC8181169 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.612605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We develop here a novel hypothesis that may generate a general research framework of how autonomous robots may act as a future contingency to counteract the ongoing ecological mass extinction process. We showcase several research projects that have undertaken first steps to generate the required prerequisites for such a technology-based conservation biology approach. Our main idea is to stabilise and support broken ecosystems by introducing artificial members, robots, that are able to blend into the ecosystem's regulatory feedback loops and can modulate natural organisms' local densities through participation in those feedback loops. These robots are able to inject information that can be gathered using technology and to help the system in processing available information with technology. In order to understand the key principles of how these robots are capable of modulating the behaviour of large populations of living organisms based on interacting with just a few individuals, we develop novel mathematical models that focus on important behavioural feedback loops. These loops produce relevant group-level effects, allowing for robotic modulation of collective decision making in social organisms. A general understanding of such systems through mathematical models is necessary for designing future organism-interacting robots in an informed and structured way, which maximises the desired output from a minimum of intervention. Such models also help to unveil the commonalities and specificities of the individual implementations and allow predicting the outcomes of microscopic behavioural mechanisms on the ultimate macroscopic-level effects. We found that very similar models of interaction can be successfully used in multiple very different organism groups and behaviour types (honeybee aggregation, fish shoaling, and plant growth). Here we also report experimental data from biohybrid systems of robots and living organisms. Our mathematical models serve as building blocks for a deep understanding of these biohybrid systems. Only if the effects of autonomous robots onto the environment can be sufficiently well predicted can such robotic systems leave the safe space of the lab and can be applied in the wild to be able to unfold their ecosystem-stabilising potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schmickl
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Martina Szopek
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Francesco Mondada
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, School of Engineering and School of Computer and Communication Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rob Mills
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, School of Engineering and School of Computer and Communication Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- BioISI, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Martin Stefanec
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel N. Hofstadler
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dajana Lazic
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Rafael Barmak
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, School of Engineering and School of Computer and Communication Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frank Bonnet
- Mobile Robotic Systems Group, School of Engineering and School of Computer and Communication Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Payam Zahadat
- Department of Computer Science, IT University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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DeLellis P, Cadolini E, Croce A, Yang Y, di Bernardo M, Porfiri M. Model-based feedback control of live zebrafish behavior via interaction with a robotic replica. IEEE T ROBOT 2021; 36:28-41. [PMID: 33746643 DOI: 10.1109/tro.2019.2943066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The possibility of regulating the behavior of live animals using biologically-inspired robots has attracted the interest of biologists and engineers for over twenty-five years. From early work on insects to recent endeavors on mammals, we have witnessed fascinating applications that have pushed forward our understanding of animal behavior along new directions. Despite significant progress, most of the research has focused on open-loop control systems, in which robots execute predetermined actions, independent of the animal behavior. We integrate mathematical modeling of social behavior toward the design of realistic feedback laws for robots to interact with a live animal. In particular, we leverage recent advancements in data-driven modeling of zebrafish behavior. Ultimately, we establish a novel robotic platform that allows real-time actuation of a biologically-inspired 3D-printed zebrafish replica to implement model-based control of animal behavior. We demonstrate our approach through a series of experiments, designed to elucidate the appraisal of the replica by live subjects with respect to conspecifics and to quantify the biological value of closed-loop control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro DeLellis
- Department of Electrical Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering
| | - Edoardo Cadolini
- Department of Electrical Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering
| | - Arrigo Croce
- Department of Electrical Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering
| | - Yanpeng Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mario di Bernardo
- Department of Electrical Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II. Department of Engineering Mathematics of the University of Bristol, U.K
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering
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15
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Pita D, Fernández-Juricic E. Zebrafish Neighbor Distance Changes Relative to Conspecific Size, Position in the Water Column, and the Horizon: A Video-Playback Experiment. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.568752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many fish form schools and maintain visual contact with their neighbors in a three-dimensional environment. In this study, we assessed whether zebrafish modified their spacing and interaction time in an additive or multiplicative way relative to multiple sources of social information using computer animations. We simultaneously manipulated: (a) the size of the virtual conspecific (as a proxy of social cue magnitude), (b) the position of the virtual conspecific in the water column (as a proxy of the level of perceived risk), and (c) the absence/presence of the visual horizon (as a proxy of depth perception). We found that the size of the virtual conspecific independently affected spacing behavior (zebrafish increased their separation distance as conspecific size increased). However, some of these factors interacted significantly, such that their effects on social behavior depended on each other. For instance, zebrafish increased their separation distance under high risk conditions when the virtual conspecific was larger, but this risk effect disappeared when the conspecific was the same size or smaller, likely to avoid aggression. Also, zebrafish increased their separation distance when depth perception was enhanced under low risk conditions, but the effect of depth perception disappeared under high risk conditions. Overall, we found that certain dimensions of the visual social environment affected zebrafish spacing behavior in different ways, but they did not affect social interaction time. We discuss the implications of these findings for the spatial organization of fish schools.
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16
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Lukas J, Kalinkat G, Miesen FW, Landgraf T, Krause J, Bierbach D. Consistent Behavioral Syndrome Across Seasons in an Invasive Freshwater Fish. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.583670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the linkage between behavioral types and dispersal tendency has become a pressing issue in light of global change and biological invasions. Here, we explore whether dispersing individuals exhibit behavioral types that differ from those remaining in the source population. We investigated a feral population of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) that undergoes a yearly range shift cycle. Guppies are among the most widespread invasive species in the world, but in temperate regions these tropical fish can only survive in winter-warm freshwaters. Established in a thermally-altered stream in Germany, guppies are confined to a warm-water influx in winter, but can spread to peripheral parts as these become thermally accessible. We sampled fish from the source population and a winter-abandoned site in March, June and August. Fish were tested for boldness, sociability and activity involving open-field tests including interactions with a robotic social partner. Guppies differed consistently among each other in all three traits within each sample. Average trait expression in the source population differed across seasons, however, we could not detect differences between source and downstream population. Instead, all populations exhibited a remarkably stable behavioral syndrome between boldness and activity despite strong seasonal changes in water temperature and associated environmental factors. We conclude that random drift (opposed to personality-biased dispersal) is a more likely dispersal mode for guppies, at least in the investigated stream. In the face of fluctuating environments, guppies seem to be extremely effective in keeping behavioral expressions constant, which could help explain their successful invasion and adaptation to new and disturbed habitats.
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17
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Jolles JW, Weimar N, Landgraf T, Romanczuk P, Krause J, Bierbach D. Group-level patterns emerge from individual speed as revealed by an extremely social robotic fish. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200436. [PMID: 32933404 PMCID: PMC7532714 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the emergence of collective behaviour has long been a key research focus in the natural sciences. Besides the fundamental role of social interaction rules, a combination of theoretical and empirical work indicates individual speed may be a key process that drives the collective behaviour of animal groups. Socially induced changes in speed by interacting animals make it difficult to isolate the effects of individual speed on group-level behaviours. Here, we tackled this issue by pairing guppies with a biomimetic robot. We used a closed-loop tracking and feedback system to let a robotic fish naturally interact with a live partner in real time, and programmed it to strongly copy and follow its partner's movements while lacking any preferred movement speed or directionality of its own. We show that individual differences in guppies' movement speed were highly repeatable and in turn shaped key collective patterns: a higher individual speed resulted in stronger leadership, lower cohesion, higher alignment and better temporal coordination of the pairs. By combining the strengths of individual-based models and observational work with state-of-the-art robotics, we provide novel evidence that individual speed is a key, fundamental process in the emergence of collective behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolle W. Jolles
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nils Weimar
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute for Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Bierbach
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer-Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Karakaya M, Macrì S, Porfiri M. Behavioral Teleporting of Individual Ethograms onto Inanimate Robots: Experiments on Social Interactions in Live Zebrafish. iScience 2020; 23:101418. [PMID: 32818837 PMCID: PMC7452384 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom, and it remarkably influences human personal and professional lives. However, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying social behavior is elusive. Integrating the seemingly different fields of robotics and preclinical research could bring new insight on social behavior. Toward this aim, we established "behavioral teleporting" as an experimental solution to independently manipulate multiple factors underpinning social interactions. Behavioral teleporting consists of real-time transfer of the complete ethogram of a live zebrafish onto a remotely-located robotic replica. Through parallel and simultaneous behavioral teleporting, we studied the interaction between two live fish swimming in remotely-located tanks: each live fish interacted with an inanimate robot that mirrored the behavior of the other fish, and the morphology of each robot was independently tailored. Our results indicate that behavioral teleporting can preserve natural interaction between two live animals, while allowing fine control over morphological features that modulate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mert Karakaya
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Simone Macrì
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn NY 11201, USA.
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19
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Abstract
In recent studies, robots are used to stimulate living systems in controlled experimental settings. This research strategy is here called interactive biorobotics, to distinguish it from classical biorobotics, in which robots are used to simulate, rather than to stimulate, living system behavior. This article offers a methodological analysis of interactive biorobotics and has two goals. The first one is to argue that interactive biorobotics is methodologically different, in some important respects, from classical biorobotics and from countless instances of model-based science. It will be shown that interactive biorobotics does not conform to the so-called “understanding by building” approach or synthetic method, and that it illustrates a novel use of models in science. The second goal is to reflect on the logic of interactive biorobotics. A distinction will be made between two classes of studies, which will be called “proximal” and “distal.” In proximal studies, experiments involving robot-animal interaction are brought to bear on theoretical hypotheses on robot-animal interaction. In distal studies, experiments involving robot-animal interaction are brought to bear on theoretical hypotheses on animal-animal interaction. Distal studies involve logical steps which may be particularly hard to justify. This distinction, together with a methodological reflection on the relationship between the context in which the experiments are carried out and the context in which the conclusions are expected to hold, will lead to a checklist of questions which may be useful to justify and evaluate the validity of interactive biorobotics studies. The reconstruction of the logic of interactive biorobotics made here, though preliminary, may contribute to justifying the important role that robots, as tool for stimulating living systems, can play in the contemporary life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Datteri
- RobotiCSS Lab - Laboratory of Robotics for the Cognitive and Social Sciences, Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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20
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Chemtob Y, Cazenille L, Bonnet F, Gribovskiy A, Mondada F, Halloy J. Strategies to modulate zebrafish collective dynamics with a closed-loop biomimetic robotic system. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2020; 15:046004. [PMID: 32252047 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab8706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to integrate biomimetic robots into small groups of zebrafish and to modulate their collective behaviours. A possible approach is to have the robots behave like sheepdogs. In this case, the robots would behave like a different species than the fish and would present different relevant behaviours. In this study, we explore different strategies that use biomimetic zebrafish behaviours. In past work, we have shown that robots biomimicking zebrafish can be socially integrated into zebrafish groups. We have also shown that a fish-like robot can modulate the rotation choice of zebrafish groups in a circular set-up. Here, we further study the modulation capabilities of such robots in a more complex set-up. To do this, we exploit zebrafish social behaviours we identified in previous studies. We first modulate collective departure by replicating the leadership mechanisms with the robot in a set-up composed of two rooms connected by a corridor. Then, we test different behavioural strategies to drive the fish groups towards a predefined target room. To drive the biohybrid groups towards a predefined choice, they have to adopt some specific fish-like behaviours. The first strategy is based on a single robot using the initiation behaviour. In this case, the robot keeps trying to initiate a group transition towards the target room. The second strategy is based on two robots, one initiating and one staying in the target room as a social attractant. The third strategy is based on a single robot behaving like a zebrafish but staying in the target room as a social attractant. The fourth strategy uses two robots behaving like zebrafish but staying in the target room. We conclude that robots can modulate zebrafish group behaviour by adopting strategies based on existing fish behaviours. Under these conditions, robots enable the testing of hypotheses about the behaviours of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohann Chemtob
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LIED, UMR 8236, 75013, Paris, France
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Bierbach D, Mönck HJ, Lukas J, Habedank M, Romanczuk P, Landgraf T, Krause J. Guppies Prefer to Follow Large (Robot) Leaders Irrespective of Own Size. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:441. [PMID: 32500065 PMCID: PMC7243707 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size is often assumed to determine how successfully an individual can lead others with larger individuals being better leaders than smaller ones. But even if larger individuals are more readily followed, body size often correlates with specific behavioral patterns and it is thus unclear whether larger individuals are more often followed than smaller ones because of their size or because they behave in a certain way. To control for behavioral differences among differentially-sized leaders, we used biomimetic robotic fish (Robofish) of different sizes. Live guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are known to interact with Robofish in a similar way as with live conspecifics. Consequently, Robofish may serve as a conspecific-like leader that provides standardized behaviors irrespective of its size. We asked whether larger Robofish leaders are preferentially followed and whether the preferences of followers depend on own body size or risk-taking behavior ("boldness"). We found that live female guppies followed larger Robofish leaders in closer proximity than smaller ones and this pattern was independent of the followers' own body size as well as risk-taking behavior. Our study shows a "bigger is better" pattern in leadership that is independent of behavioral differences among differentially-sized leaders, followers' own size and risk-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bierbach
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hauke J. Mönck
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute for Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Lukas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie Habedank
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute for Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ‘Science of Intelligence’, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Naik H, Bastien R, Navab N, Couzin ID. Animals in Virtual Environments. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2020; 26:2073-2083. [PMID: 32070970 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2020.2973063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The core idea in an XR (VR/MR/AR) application is to digitally stimulate one or more sensory systems (e.g. visual, auditory, olfactory) of the human user in an interactive way to achieve an immersive experience. Since the early 2000s biologists have been using Virtual Environments (VE) to investigate the mechanisms of behavior in non-human animals including insects, fish, and mammals. VEs have become reliable tools for studying vision, cognition, and sensory-motor control in animals. In turn, the knowledge gained from studying such behaviors can be harnessed by researchers designing biologically inspired robots, smart sensors, and rnulti-agent artificial intelligence. VE for animals is becoming a widely used application of XR technology but such applications have not previously been reported in the technical literature related to XR. Biologists and computer scientists can benefit greatly from deepening interdisciplinary research in this emerging field and together we can develop new methods for conducting fundamental research in behavioral sciences and engineering. To support our argument we present this review which provides an overview of animal behavior experiments conducted in virtual environments.
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23
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Utter B, Brown A. Open-source five degree of freedom motion platform for investigating fish-robot interaction. HARDWAREX 2020; 7:e00107. [PMID: 35495210 PMCID: PMC9041249 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2020.e00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the design, construction, operation, and validation of a robotic gantry platform specifically designed for studying fish-robot interaction. The platform has five degrees of freedom to manipulate the three-dimensional position, yaw angle, and the pitch of a lure. Additionally, it has a four-conductor slip ring that allows power and data to be transmitted to the lure for the operation of fins and other actuators that increase realism or act as stimuli to focal fish during an ethorobotic experiment. The design is open-source, low-cost, and includes purpose-built electronics, software, and hardware to make it extensible and customizable for a number of applications with varying requirements.
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Watve M, Prati S, Taborsky B. Simulating more realistic predation threat using attack playbacks. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8149. [PMID: 31875146 PMCID: PMC6925948 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Use of virtual proxies of live animals are rapidly gaining ground in studies of animal behaviour. Such proxies help to reduce the number of live experimental animals needed to stimulate the behaviour of experimental individuals and to increase standardisation. However, using too simplistic proxies may fail to induce a desired effect and/or lead to quick habituation. For instance, in a predation context, prey often employ multimodal cues to detect predators or use specific aspects of predator behaviour to assess threat. In a live interaction, predator and prey often show behaviours directed towards each other, which are absent in virtual proxies. Here we compared the effectiveness of chemical and visual predator cues in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, a species in which predation pressure has been the evolutionary driver of its sociality. We created playbacks of predators simulating an attack and tested their effectiveness in comparison to a playback showing regular activity and to a live predator. We further compared the effectiveness of predator odour and conspecific skin extracts on behaviours directed towards a predator playback. Regular playbacks of calmly swimming predators were less effective than live predators in stimulating a focal individual's aggression and attention. However, playbacks mimicking an attacking predator induced responses much like a live predator. Chemical cues did not affect predator directed behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukta Watve
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Prati
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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25
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Papaspyros V, Bonnet F, Collignon B, Mondada F. Bidirectional interactions facilitate the integration of a robot into a shoal of zebrafish Danio rerio. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220559. [PMID: 31430290 PMCID: PMC6701756 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies on collective animal behavior seek to identify the individual rules that underlie collective patterns. However, it was not until the recent advancements of micro-electronic and embedded systems that scientists were able to create mixed groups of sensor-rich robots and animals and study collective interactions from the within a bio-hybrid group. In recent work, scientists showed that a robot-controlled lure is capable of influencing the collective decisions of zebrafish Danio rerio shoals moving in a ring and a two-room setup. Here, we study a closely related topic, that is, the collective behavior patterns that emerge when different behavioral models are reproduced through the use of a robotic lure. We design a behavioral model that alternates between obeying and disobeying the collective motion decisions in order to become socially accepted by the shoal members. Subsequently, we compare it against two extreme cases: a reactive and an imposing decision model. For this, we use spatial, directional and information theoretic metrics to measure the degree of integration of the robotic agent. We show that our model leads to similar information flow as in freely roaming shoals of zebrafish and exhibits leadership skills more often than the open-loop models. Thus, in order for the robot to achieve higher degrees of integration in the zebrafish shoal, it must, like any other shoal member, be bidirectionally involved in the decision making process. These findings provide insight on the ability to form mixed societies of animals and robots and yield promising results on the degree to which a robot can influence the collective decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaios Papaspyros
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frank Bonnet
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bertrand Collignon
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Unit of Social Ecology (USE), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Francesco Mondada
- Biorobotics Laboratory, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Yang Y, Clément RJG, Ghirlanda S, Porfiri M. A Comparison of Individual Learning and Social Learning in Zebrafish Through an Ethorobotics Approach. Front Robot AI 2019; 6:71. [PMID: 33501086 PMCID: PMC7805697 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social learning is ubiquitous across the animal kingdom, where animals learn from group members about predators, foraging strategies, and so on. Despite its prevalence and adaptive benefits, our understanding of social learning is far from complete. Here, we study observational learning in zebrafish, a popular animal model in neuroscience. Toward fine control of experimental variables and high consistency across trials, we developed a novel robotics-based experimental test paradigm, in which a robotic replica demonstrated to live subjects the correct door to join a group of conspecifics. We performed two experimental conditions. In the individual training condition, subjects learned the correct door without the replica. In the social training condition, subjects observed the replica approaching both the incorrect door, to no effect, and the correct door, which would open after spending enough time close to it. During these observations, subjects could not actively follow the replica. Zebrafish increased their preference for the correct door over the course of 20 training sessions, but we failed to identify evidence of social learning, whereby we did not register significant differences in performance between the individual and social training conditions. These results suggest that zebrafish may not be able to learn a route by observation, although more research comparing robots to live demonstrators is needed to substantiate this claim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanpeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Romain J. G. Clément
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Stefano Ghirlanda
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Departments of Psychology and Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, United States
- Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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Heinrich MK, von Mammen S, Hofstadler DN, Wahby M, Zahadat P, Skrzypczak T, Soorati MD, Krela R, Kwiatkowski W, Schmickl T, Ayres P, Stoy K, Hamann H. Constructing living buildings: a review of relevant technologies for a novel application of biohybrid robotics. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190238. [PMID: 31362616 PMCID: PMC6685033 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biohybrid robotics takes an engineering approach to the expansion and exploitation of biological behaviours for application to automated tasks. Here, we identify the construction of living buildings and infrastructure as a high-potential application domain for biohybrid robotics, and review technological advances relevant to its future development. Construction, civil infrastructure maintenance and building occupancy in the last decades have comprised a major portion of economic production, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Integrating biological organisms into automated construction tasks and permanent building components therefore has high potential for impact. Live materials can provide several advantages over standard synthetic construction materials, including self-repair of damage, increase rather than degradation of structural performance over time, resilience to corrosive environments, support of biodiversity, and mitigation of urban heat islands. Here, we review relevant technologies, which are currently disparate. They span robotics, self-organizing systems, artificial life, construction automation, structural engineering, architecture, bioengineering, biomaterials, and molecular and cellular biology. In these disciplines, developments relevant to biohybrid construction and living buildings are in the early stages, and typically are not exchanged between disciplines. We, therefore, consider this review useful to the future development of biohybrid engineering for this highly interdisciplinary application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Katherine Heinrich
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sebastian von Mammen
- Human–Computer Interaction, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Mostafa Wahby
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Payam Zahadat
- Institute of Biology, Artificial Life Lab, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Computer Science, IT University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Tomasz Skrzypczak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Rafał Krela
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kwiatkowski
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Institute of Biology, Artificial Life Lab, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Phil Ayres
- School of Architecture, Centre for IT and Architecture, Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Stoy
- Department of Computer Science, IT University of Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Heiko Hamann
- Institute of Computer Engineering, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Romano D, Donati E, Benelli G, Stefanini C. A review on animal-robot interaction: from bio-hybrid organisms to mixed societies. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2019; 113:201-225. [PMID: 30430234 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-018-0787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are far superior to state-of-the-art robots as they have evolved a wide number of capabilities that far encompass our most advanced technologies. The merging of biological and artificial world, both physically and cognitively, represents a new trend in robotics that provides promising prospects to revolutionize the paradigms of conventional bio-inspired design as well as biological research. In this review, a comprehensive definition of animal-robot interactive technologies is given. They can be at animal level, by augmenting physical or mental capabilities through an integrated technology, or at group level, in which real animals interact with robotic conspecifics. Furthermore, an overview of the current state of the art and the recent trends in this novel context is provided. Bio-hybrid organisms represent a promising research area allowing us to understand how a biological apparatus (e.g. muscular and/or neural) works, thanks to the interaction with the integrated technologies. Furthermore, by using artificial agents, it is possible to shed light on social behaviours characterizing mixed societies. The robots can be used to manipulate groups of living organisms to understand self-organization and the evolution of cooperative behaviour and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy.
| | - Elisa Donati
- The Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich/ETH, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
- HEIC Center, BME Department, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Spinello C, Yang Y, Macrì S, Porfiri M. Zebrafish Adjust Their Behavior in Response to an Interactive Robotic Predator. Front Robot AI 2019; 6:38. [PMID: 33501054 PMCID: PMC7806020 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) constitutes a valuable experimental species for the study of the biological determinants of emotional responses, such as fear and anxiety. Fear-related test paradigms traditionally entail the interaction between focal subjects and live predators, which may show inconsistent behavior throughout the experiment. To address this technical challenge, robotic stimuli are now frequently integrated in behavioral studies, yielding repeatable, customizable, and controllable experimental conditions. While most of the research has focused on open-loop control where robotic stimuli are preprogrammed to execute a priori known actions, recent work has explored the possibility of two-way interactions between robotic stimuli and live subjects. Here, we demonstrate a "closed-loop control" system to investigate fear response of zebrafish in which the response of the robotic stimulus is determined in real-time through a finite-state Markov chain constructed from independent observations on the interactions between zebrafish and their predator. Specifically, we designed a 3D-printed robotic replica of the zebrafish allopatric predator red tiger Oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus), instrumented to interact in real-time with live subjects. We investigated the role of closed-loop control in modulating fear response in zebrafish through the analysis of the focal fish ethogram and the information-theoretic quantification of the interaction between the subject and the replica. Our results indicate that closed-loop control elicits consistent fear response in zebrafish and that zebrafish quickly adjust their behavior to avoid the predator's attacks. The augmented degree of interactivity afforded by the Markov-chain-dependent actuation of the replica constitutes a fundamental advancement in the study of animal-robot interactions and offers a new means for the development of experimental paradigms to study fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Spinello
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Yanpeng Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Simone Macrì
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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30
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Li L, Liu A, Wang W, Ravi S, Fu R, Yu J, Xie G. Bottom-level motion control for robotic fish to swim in groups: modeling and experiments. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2019; 14:046001. [PMID: 30875698 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab1052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Moving in groups is an amazing spectacle of collective behaviour in fish and has attracted considerable interest from many fields, including biology, physics and engineering. Although robotic fish have been well studied, including algorithms to simulate group swimming, experiments that demonstrate multiple robotic fish as a stable group are yet to be achieved. One of the challenges is the lack of a robust bottom-level motion control system for robotic fish platforms. Here we seek to overcome this challenge by focusing on the design and implementation of a motion controller for robotic fish that allows multiple individuals to swim in groups. As direction control is essential in motion control, we first propose a high-accuracy controller which can control a sub-carangiform robotic fish from one arbitrary position/pose (position and direction) to another. We then develop a hydrodynamic-model-based simulation platform to expedite the process of the parameter tuning of the controller. The accuracy of the simulation platform was assessed by comparing the results from experiments on a robotic fish using speeding and turning tests. Subsequently, extensive simulations and experiments with robotic fish were used to verify the accuracy and robustness of the bottom-level motion control. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of our controller by implementing group swimming using three robotic fish swimming freely in prescribed trajectories. Although the fluid environment can be complex during group swimming, our bottom-level motion control remained nominally accurate and robust. This motion control strategy lays a solid foundation for further studies of group swimming with multiple robotic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China. Author to whom correspondence may be addressed
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31
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Bonnet F, Mills R, Szopek M, Schönwetter-Fuchs S, Halloy J, Bogdan S, Correia L, Mondada F, Schmickl T. Robots mediating interactions between animals for interspecies collective behaviors. Sci Robot 2019; 4:4/28/eaau7897. [PMID: 33137747 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aau7897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Self-organized collective behavior has been analyzed in diverse types of gregarious animals. Such collective intelligence emerges from the synergy between individuals, which behave at their own time and spatial scales and without global rules. Recently, robots have been developed to collaborate with animal groups in the pursuit of better understanding their decision-making processes. These biohybrid systems make cooperative relationships between artificial systems and animals possible, which can yield new capabilities in the resulting mixed group. However, robots are currently tailor-made to successfully engage with one animal species at a time. This limits the possibilities of introducing distinct species-dependent perceptual capabilities and types of behaviors in the same system. Here, we show that robots socially integrated into animal groups of honeybees and zebrafish, each one located in a different city, allowing these two species to interact. This interspecific information transfer is demonstrated by collective decisions that emerge between the two autonomous robotic systems and the two animal groups. The robots enable this biohybrid system to function at any distance and operates in water and air with multiple sensorimotor properties across species barriers and ecosystems. These results demonstrate the feasibility of generating and controlling behavioral patterns in biohybrid groups of multiple species. Such interspecies connections between diverse robotic systems and animal species may open the door for new forms of artificial collective intelligence, where the unrivaled perceptual capabilities of the animals and their brains can be used to enhance autonomous decision-making, which could find applications in selective "rewiring" of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Bonnet
- Robotic Systems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IMT LSRO, ME B3 30 (Bâtiment ME), Station 9 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Rob Mills
- BioISI, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Martina Szopek
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sarah Schönwetter-Fuchs
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - José Halloy
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LIED UMR 8236, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Stjepan Bogdan
- Laboratory for Robotics and Intelligent Control Systems, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Unska 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luís Correia
- BioISI, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francesco Mondada
- Robotic Systems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL STI IMT LSRO, ME B3 30 (Bâtiment ME), Station 9 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmickl
- Artificial Life Laboratory of the Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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32
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Bierbach D, Landgraf T, Romanczuk P, Lukas J, Nguyen H, Wolf M, Krause J. Using a robotic fish to investigate individual differences in social responsiveness in the guppy. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181026. [PMID: 30225087 PMCID: PMC6124066 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Responding towards the actions of others is one of the most important behavioural traits whenever animals of the same species interact. Mutual influences among interacting individuals may modulate the social responsiveness seen and thus make it often difficult to study the level and individual variation in responsiveness. Here, open-loop biomimetic robots that provide standardized, non-interactive social cues can be a useful tool. These robots are not affected by the live animal's actions but are assumed to still represent valuable and biologically relevant social cues. As this assumption is crucial for the use of biomimetic robots in behavioural studies, we hypothesized (i) that meaningful social interactions can be assumed if live animals maintain individual differences in responsiveness when interacting with both a biomimetic robot and a live partner. Furthermore, to study the level of individual variation in social responsiveness, we hypothesized (ii) that individual differences should be maintained over the course of multiple tests with the robot. We investigated the response of live guppies (Poecilia reticulata) when allowed to interact either with a biomimetic open-loop-controlled fish robot-'Robofish'-or with a live companion. Furthermore, we investigated the responses of live guppies when tested three times with Robofish. We found that responses of live guppies towards Robofish were weaker compared with those of a live companion, most likely as a result of the non-interactive open-loop behaviour of Robofish. Guppies, however, were consistent in their individual responses between a live companion and Robofish, and similar individual differences in response towards Robofish were maintained over repeated testing even though habituation to the test environment was detectable. Biomimetic robots like Robofish are therefore a useful tool for the study of social responsiveness in guppies and possibly other small fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bierbach
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Computer Science, Arnimallee 7, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Thaer Institute, Hinter d. Reinhardtstr. 8-18, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Lukas
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Thaer Institute, Hinter d. Reinhardtstr. 8-18, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hai Nguyen
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Max Wolf
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Thaer Institute, Hinter d. Reinhardtstr. 8-18, Berlin, Germany
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33
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Worm M, Landgraf T, Prume J, Nguyen H, Kirschbaum F, von der Emde G. Evidence for mutual allocation of social attention through interactive signaling in a mormyrid weakly electric fish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6852-6857. [PMID: 29891707 PMCID: PMC6042124 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1801283115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mormyrid weakly electric fish produce electric organ discharges (EODs) for active electrolocation and electrocommunication. These pulses are emitted with variable interdischarge intervals (IDIs) resulting in temporal discharge patterns and interactive signaling episodes with nearby conspecifics. However, unequivocal assignment of interactive signaling to a specific behavioral context has proven to be challenging. Using an ethorobotical approach, we confronted single individuals of weakly electric Mormyrus rume proboscirostris with a mobile fish robot capable of interacting both physically, on arbitrary trajectories, as well as electrically, by generating echo responses through playback of species-specific EODs, thus synchronizing signals with the fish. Interactive signaling by the fish was more pronounced in response to a dynamic echo playback generated by the robot than in response to playback of static random IDI sequences. Such synchronizations were particularly strong at a distance corresponding to the outer limit of active electrolocation, and when fish oriented toward the fish replica. We therefore argue that interactive signaling through echoing of a conspecific's EODs provides a simple mechanism by which weakly electric fish can specifically address nearby individuals during electrocommunication. Echoing may thus enable mormyrids to mutually allocate social attention and constitute a foundation for complex social behavior and relatively advanced cognitive abilities in a basal vertebrate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Worm
- Institut für Zoologie, Neuroethologie/Sensorische Ökologie, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Institut für Informatik, Fachbereich Informatik und Mathematik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Prume
- Institut für Zoologie, Neuroethologie/Sensorische Ökologie, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hai Nguyen
- Institut für Informatik, Fachbereich Informatik und Mathematik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Kirschbaum
- Biologie und Ökologie der Fische, Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Humboldt-Universität-zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard von der Emde
- Institut für Zoologie, Neuroethologie/Sensorische Ökologie, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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34
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Strömbom D, King AJ. Robot Collection and Transport of Objects: A Biomimetic Process. Front Robot AI 2018; 5:48. [PMID: 33500933 PMCID: PMC7805832 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2018.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals as diverse as ants and humans are faced with the tasks of collecting, transporting or herding objects. Sheepdogs do this daily when they collect, herd, and maneuver flocks of sheep. Here, we adapt a shepherding algorithm inspired by sheepdogs to collect and transport objects using a robot. Our approach produces an effective robot collection process that autonomously adapts to changing environmental conditions and is robust to noise from various sources. We suggest that this biomimetic process could be implemented into suitable robots to perform collection and transport tasks that might include – for example – cleaning up objects in the environment, keeping animals away from sensitive areas or collecting and herding animals to a specific location. Furthermore, the feedback controlled interactions between the robot and objects which we study can be used to interrogate and understand the local and global interactions of real animal groups, thus offering a novel methodology of value to researchers studying collective animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Strömbom
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
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35
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Bierbach D, Lukas J, Bergmann A, Elsner K, Höhne L, Weber C, Weimar N, Arias-Rodriguez L, Mönck HJ, Nguyen H, Romanczuk P, Landgraf T, Krause J. Insights into the Social Behavior of Surface and Cave-Dwelling Fish ( Poecilia mexicana) in Light and Darkness through the Use of a Biomimetic Robot. Front Robot AI 2018; 5:3. [PMID: 33500890 PMCID: PMC7805783 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2018.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomimetic robots (BRs) are becoming more common in behavioral research and, if they are accepted as conspecifics, allow for new forms of experimental manipulations of social interactions. Nevertheless, it is often not clear which cues emanating from a BR are actually used as communicative signals and how species or populations with different sensory makeups react to specific types of BRs. We herein present results from experiments using two populations of livebearing fishes that differ in their sensory capabilities. In the South of Mexico, surface-dwelling mollies (Poecilia mexicana) successfully invaded caves and adapted to dark conditions. While almost without pigment, these cave mollies possess smaller but still functional eyes. Although previous studies found cave mollies to show reduced shoaling preferences with conspecifics in light compared to surface mollies, it is assumed that they possess specialized adaptations to maintain some kind of sociality also in their dark habitats. By testing surface- and cave-dwelling mollies with RoboFish, a BR made for use in laboratory experiments with guppies and sticklebacks, we asked to what extent visual and non-visual cues play a role in their social behavior. Both cave- and surface-dwelling mollies followed the BR as well as a live companion when tested in light. However, when tested in darkness, only surface-dwelling fish were attracted by a live conspecific, whereas cave-dwelling fish were not. Neither cave- nor surface-dwelling mollies were attracted to RoboFish in darkness. This is the first study to use BRs for the investigation of social behavior in mollies and to compare responses to BRs both in light and darkness. As our RoboFish is accepted as conspecific by both used populations of the Atlantic molly only under light conditions but not in darkness, we argue that our replica is providing mostly visual cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bierbach
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Lukas
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Bergmann
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristiane Elsner
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leander Höhne
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Weber
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Weimar
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, bologna.lab, Q-Team Programm, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lenin Arias-Rodriguez
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Hauke J Mönck
- Freie Universität Berlin, FB Mathematik u. Informatik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hai Nguyen
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Romanczuk
- Department of Biology, Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim Landgraf
- Freie Universität Berlin, FB Mathematik u. Informatik, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Krause
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Faculty of Life Sciences, Thaer Institute, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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36
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Kim C, Ruberto T, Phamduy P, Porfiri M. Closed-loop control of zebrafish behaviour in three dimensions using a robotic stimulus. Sci Rep 2018; 8:657. [PMID: 29330523 PMCID: PMC5766612 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-19083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Robotics is continuously being integrated in animal behaviour studies to create customizable, controllable, and repeatable stimuli. However, few systems have capitalized on recent breakthroughs in computer vision and real-time control to enable a two-way interaction between the animal and the robot. Here, we present a "closed-loop control" system to investigate the behaviour of zebrafish, a popular animal model in preclinical studies. The system allows for actuating a biologically-inspired 3D-printed replica in a 3D workspace, in response to the behaviour of a zebrafish. We demonstrate the role of closed-loop control in modulating the response of zebrafish, across a range of behavioural and information-theoretic measures. Our results suggest that closed-loop control could enhance the degree of biomimicry of the replica, by increasing the attraction of live subjects and their interaction with the stimulus. Interactive experiments hold promise to advance our understanding of zebrafish, offering new means for high throughput behavioural phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changsu Kim
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
| | - Tommaso Ruberto
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
| | - Paul Phamduy
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, USA.
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37
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Cazenille L, Collignon B, Chemtob Y, Bonnet F, Gribovskiy A, Mondada F, Bredeche N, Halloy J. How mimetic should a robotic fish be to socially integrate into zebrafish groups? BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2018; 13:025001. [PMID: 28952466 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa8f6a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Biomimetic robots are promising tools in animal behavioural studies. If they are socially integrated in a group of animals, they can produce calibrated social stimuli to test the animal responses. However, the design of such social robots is challenging as it involves both a luring capability including appropriate robot behaviours, and the acceptation of the robots by the animals as social companions. Here, we investigate the integration of a biomimetic robot driven by biomimetic behavioural models into a group of zebrafish (Danio rerio). The robot behaviours are based on a stochastic model linking zebrafish visual perception to individual behaviour and calibrated experimentally to correspond to the behaviour of zebrafish. We show that our robot can be integrated into a group of zebrafish, mimic their behaviour and exhibit similar collective dynamics compared to fish-only groups. This study shows that an autonomous biomimetic robot was enhanced by a biomimetic behavioural model so that it can socially integrate into groups of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Cazenille
- Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, LIED, UMR 8236, 75013, Paris, France. Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, ISIR, F-75005 Paris, France
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38
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Bonnet F, Gribovskiy A, Halloy J, Mondada F. Closed-loop interactions between a shoal of zebrafish and a group of robotic fish in a circular corridor. SWARM INTELLIGENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11721-017-0153-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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39
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Cazenille L, Chemtob Y, Bonnet F, Gribovskiy A, Mondada F, Bredeche N, Halloy J. How to Blend a Robot Within a Group of Zebrafish: Achieving Social Acceptance Through Real-Time Calibration of a Multi-level Behavioural Model. BIOMIMETIC AND BIOHYBRID SYSTEMS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-95972-6_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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40
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Worm M, Kirschbaum F, von der Emde G. Social interactions between live and artificial weakly electric fish: Electrocommunication and locomotor behavior of Mormyrus rume proboscirostris towards a mobile dummy fish. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184622. [PMID: 28902915 PMCID: PMC5597219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mormyrid weakly electric fish produce short, pulse-type electric organ discharges for actively probing their environment and to communicate with conspecifics. Animals emit sequences of pulse-trains that vary in overall frequency and temporal patterning and can lead to time-locked interactions with the discharge activity of other individuals. Both active electrolocation and electrocommunication are additionally accompanied by stereotypical locomotor patterns. However, the concrete roles of electrical and locomotor patterns during social interactions in mormyrids are not well understood. Here we used a mobile fish dummy that was emitting different types of electrical playback sequences to study following behavior and interaction patterns (electrical and locomotor) between individuals of weakly electric fish. We confronted single individuals of Mormyrus rume proboscirostris with a mobile dummy fish designed to attract fish from a shelter and recruit them into an open area by emitting electrical playbacks of natural discharge sequences. We found that fish were reliably recruited by the mobile dummy if it emitted electrical signals and followed it largely independently of the presented playback patterns. While following the dummy, fish interacted with it spatially by displaying stereotypical motor patterns, as well as electrically, e.g. through discharge regularizations and by synchronizing their own discharge activity to the playback. However, the overall emission frequencies of the dummy were not adopted by the following fish. Instead, social signals based on different temporal patterns were emitted depending on the type of playback. In particular, double pulses were displayed in response to electrical signaling of the dummy and their expression was positively correlated with an animals' rank in the dominance hierarchy. Based on additional analysis of swimming trajectories and stereotypical locomotor behavior patterns, we conclude that the reception and emission of electrical communication signals play a crucial role in mediating social interactions in mormyrid weakly electric fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Worm
- Department of Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank Kirschbaum
- Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard von der Emde
- Department of Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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41
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Griparić K, Haus T, Miklić D, Polić M, Bogdan S. A robotic system for researching social integration in honeybees. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181977. [PMID: 28792955 PMCID: PMC5549902 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we present a novel robotic system developed for researching collective social mechanisms in a biohybrid society of robots and honeybees. The potential for distributed coordination, as observed in nature in many different animal species, has caused an increased interest in collective behaviour research in recent years because of its applicability to a broad spectrum of technical systems requiring robust multi-agent control. One of the main problems is understanding the mechanisms driving the emergence of collective behaviour of social animals. With the aim of deepening the knowledge in this field, we have designed a multi-robot system capable of interacting with honeybees within an experimental arena. The final product, stationary autonomous robot units, designed by specificaly considering the physical, sensorimotor and behavioral characteristics of the honeybees (lat. Apis mallifera), are equipped with sensing, actuating, computation, and communication capabilities that enable the measurement of relevant environmental states, such as honeybee presence, and adequate response to the measurements by generating heat, vibration and airflow. The coordination among robots in the developed system is established using distributed controllers. The cooperation between the two different types of collective systems is realized by means of a consensus algorithm, enabling the honeybees and the robots to achieve a common objective. Presented results, obtained within ASSISIbf project, show successful cooperation indicating its potential for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlo Griparić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
- * E-mail:
| | - Tomislav Haus
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Damjan Miklić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marsela Polić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stjepan Bogdan
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia
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42
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43
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Romano D, Benelli G, Donati E, Remorini D, Canale A, Stefanini C. Multiple cues produced by a robotic fish modulate aggressive behaviour in Siamese fighting fishes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4667. [PMID: 28680126 PMCID: PMC5498610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04840-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of robotics to establish social interactions between animals and robots, represents an elegant and innovative method to investigate animal behaviour. However, robots are still underused to investigate high complex and flexible behaviours, such as aggression. Here, Betta splendens was tested as model system to shed light on the effect of a robotic fish eliciting aggression. We evaluated how multiple signal systems, including a light stimulus, affect aggressive responses in B. splendens. Furthermore, we conducted experiments to estimate if aggressive responses were triggered by the biomimetic shape of fish replica, or whether any intruder object was effective as well. Male fishes showed longer and higher aggressive displays as puzzled stimuli from the fish replica increased. When the fish replica emitted its full sequence of cues, the intensity of aggression exceeded even that produced by real fish opponents. Fish replica shape was necessary for conspecific opponent perception, evoking significant aggressive responses. Overall, this study highlights that the efficacy of an artificial opponent eliciting aggressive behaviour in fish can be boosted by exposure to multiple signals. Optimizing the cue combination delivered by the robotic fish replica may be helpful to predict escalating levels of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Elisa Donati
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Damiano Remorini
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Institute, Khalifa University, PO Box, 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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44
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Neri D, Ruberto T, Cord-Cruz G, Porfiri M. Information theory and robotics meet to study predator-prey interactions. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2017; 27:073111. [PMID: 28764408 DOI: 10.1063/1.4990051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Transfer entropy holds promise to advance our understanding of animal behavior, by affording the identification of causal relationships that underlie animal interactions. A critical step toward the reliable implementation of this powerful information-theoretic concept entails the design of experiments in which causal relationships could be systematically controlled. Here, we put forward a robotics-based experimental approach to test the validity of transfer entropy in the study of predator-prey interactions. We investigate the behavioral response of zebrafish to a fear-evoking robotic stimulus, designed after the morpho-physiology of the red tiger oscar and actuated along preprogrammed trajectories. From the time series of the positions of the zebrafish and the robotic stimulus, we demonstrate that transfer entropy correctly identifies the influence of the stimulus on the focal subject. Building on this evidence, we apply transfer entropy to study the interactions between zebrafish and a live red tiger oscar. The analysis of transfer entropy reveals a change in the direction of the information flow, suggesting a mutual influence between the predator and the prey, where the predator adapts its strategy as a function of the movement of the prey, which, in turn, adjusts its escape as a function of the predator motion. Through the integration of information theory and robotics, this study posits a new approach to study predator-prey interactions in freshwater fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Neri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA
| | - Tommaso Ruberto
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA
| | - Gabrielle Cord-Cruz
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA
| | - Maurizio Porfiri
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA
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45
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Three-dimensional scoring of zebrafish behavior unveils biological phenomena hidden by two-dimensional analyses. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1962. [PMID: 28512334 PMCID: PMC5434067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01990-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of zebrafish behavior represents a cornerstone upon which basic researchers promise to advance knowledge in life sciences. Although zebrafish swim in a three-dimensional (3D) space, their behavior in the lab is almost exclusively scored in two dimensions, whereby zebrafish are recorded using a single camera providing 2D videos. Whether this dimensional reduction preserves the reliability of data has not been addressed. Here we show that, compared to a 3D observation, 2D data are flawed by over-reporting and under-reporting of locomotory differences. Specifically, we first reconstructed 3D trajectories through the integration of synchronous information derived from two cameras, and then compared them with the original 2D views in classical experimental paradigms assessing shoaling tendency, fear, anxiety, and general locomotion. Our results suggest that traditional behavioral scoring of individual zebrafish performed in 2D may undermine data integrity, thereby requiring a general reconsideration of scoring zebrafish behavior to incorporate a 3D approach. We then demonstrate that, compared to 2D, a 3D approach requires a reduced number of subjects to achieve the same degree of validity. We anticipate these findings to largely benefit animal welfare by reducing the number of experimental subjects, without affecting statistical power.
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46
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Ruberto T, Polverino G, Porfiri M. How different is a 3D-printed replica from a conspecific in the eyes of a zebrafish? J Exp Anal Behav 2017; 107:279-293. [DOI: 10.1002/jeab.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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47
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Design and characterization of a miniature free-swimming robotic fish based on multi-material 3D printing. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT ROBOTICS AND APPLICATIONS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s41315-017-0012-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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48
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Chouinard-Thuly L, Gierszewski S, Rosenthal GG, Reader SM, Rieucau G, Woo KL, Gerlai R, Tedore C, Ingley SJ, Stowers JR, Frommen JG, Dolins FL, Witte K. Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior. Curr Zool 2017; 63:5-19. [PMID: 29491958 PMCID: PMC5804155 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid technical advances in the field of computer animation (CA) and virtual reality (VR) have opened new avenues in animal behavior research. Animated stimuli are powerful tools as they offer standardization, repeatability, and complete control over the stimulus presented, thereby "reducing" and "replacing" the animals used, and "refining" the experimental design in line with the 3Rs. However, appropriate use of these technologies raises conceptual and technical questions. In this review, we offer guidelines for common technical and conceptual considerations related to the use of animated stimuli in animal behavior research. Following the steps required to create an animated stimulus, we discuss (I) the creation, (II) the presentation, and (III) the validation of CAs and VRs. Although our review is geared toward computer-graphically designed stimuli, considerations on presentation and validation also apply to video playbacks. CA and VR allow both new behavioral questions to be addressed and existing questions to be addressed in new ways, thus we expect a rich future for these methods in both ultimate and proximate studies of animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chouinard-Thuly
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
| | - Gil G. Rosenthal
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas “Aguazarca”, Calnali, Hidalgo, México
| | - Simon M. Reader
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Kevin L. Woo
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USA
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
| | - Cynthia Tedore
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Spencer J. Ingley
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - John R. Stowers
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, Vienna 1030, Austria
- loopbio gmbh, Hauptstrasse 93, Kritzendorf 3420, Austria
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, Hinterkappelen 3032, Switzerland
| | - Francine L. Dolins
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
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49
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Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Gierszewski S, Witte K, Kuhnert KD. The virtual lover: variable and easily guided 3D fish animations as an innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies-I. Design and implementation. Curr Zool 2017; 63:55-64. [PMID: 29491963 PMCID: PMC5804152 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior researchers often face problems regarding standardization and reproducibility of their experiments. This has led to the partial substitution of live animals with artificial virtual stimuli. In addition to standardization and reproducibility, virtual stimuli open new options for researchers since they are easily changeable in morphology and appearance, and their behavior can be defined. In this article, a novel toolchain to conduct behavior experiments with fish is presented by a case study in sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna. As the toolchain holds many different and novel features, it offers new possibilities for studies in behavioral animal research and promotes the standardization of experiments. The presented method includes options to design, animate, and present virtual stimuli to live fish. The designing tool offers an easy and user-friendly way to define size, coloration, and morphology of stimuli and moreover it is able to configure virtual stimuli randomly without any user influence. Furthermore, the toolchain brings a novel method to animate stimuli in a semiautomatic way with the help of a game controller. These created swimming paths can be applied to different stimuli in real time. A presentation tool combines models and swimming paths regarding formerly defined playlists, and presents the stimuli onto 2 screens. Experiments with live sailfin mollies validated the usage of the created virtual 3D fish models in mate-choice experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Müller
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Ievgen Smielik
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Jan-Marco Hütwohl
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gierszewski
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Kuhnert
- Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, GermanyResearch Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
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50
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Gierszewski S, Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Kuhnert KD, Witte K. The virtual lover: variable and easily guided 3D fish animations as an innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies-II. Validation. Curr Zool 2017; 63:65-74. [PMID: 29491964 PMCID: PMC5804156 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of computer animation in behavioral research is a state-of-the-art method for designing and presenting animated animals to live test animals. The major advantages of computer animations are: (1) the creation of animated animal stimuli with high variability of morphology and even behavior; (2) animated stimuli provide highly standardized, controlled and repeatable testing procedures; and (3) they allow a reduction in the number of live test animals regarding the 3Rs principle. But the use of animated animals should be attended by a thorough validation for each test species to verify that behavior measured with live animals toward virtual animals can also be expected with natural stimuli. Here we present results on the validation of a custom-made simulation for animated 3D sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna and show that responses of live test females were as strong to an animated fish as to a video or a live male fish. Movement of an animated stimulus was important but female response was stronger toward a swimming 3D fish stimulus than to a "swimming" box. Moreover, male test fish were able to discriminate between animated male and female stimuli; hence, rendering the animated 3D fish a useful tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Klaus Müller
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Ievgen Smielik
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Jan-Marco Hütwohl
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Kuhnert
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
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