1
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Skandalis DA, Baliga VB, Goller B, Altshuler DL. The spatiotemporal richness of hummingbird wing deformations. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246223. [PMID: 38680114 PMCID: PMC11166462 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Animals exhibit an abundant diversity of forms, and this diversity is even more evident when considering animals that can change shape on demand. The evolution of flexibility contributes to aspects of performance from propulsive efficiency to environmental navigation. It is, however, challenging to quantify and compare body parts that, by their nature, dynamically vary in shape over many time scales. Commonly, body configurations are tracked by labelled markers and quantified parametrically through conventional measures of size and shape (descriptor approach) or non-parametrically through data-driven analyses that broadly capture spatiotemporal deformation patterns (shape variable approach). We developed a weightless marker tracking technique and combined these analytic approaches to study wing morphological flexibility in hoverfeeding Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna). Four shape variables explained >95% of typical stroke cycle wing shape variation and were broadly correlated with specific conventional descriptors such as wing twist and area. Moreover, shape variables decomposed wing deformations into pairs of in-plane and out-of-plane components at integer multiples of the stroke frequency. This property allowed us to identify spatiotemporal deformation profiles characteristic of hoverfeeding with experimentally imposed kinematic constraints, including through shape variables explaining <10% of typical shape variation. Hoverfeeding in front of a visual barrier restricted stroke amplitude and elicited increased stroke frequencies together with in-plane and out-of-plane deformations throughout the stroke cycle. Lifting submaximal loads increased stroke amplitudes at similar stroke frequencies together with prominent in-plane deformations during the upstroke and pronation. Our study highlights how spatially and temporally distinct changes in wing shape can contribute to agile fluidic locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri A. Skandalis
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Vikram B. Baliga
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Benjamin Goller
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
- College of Agriculture Data Services, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2053, USA
| | - Douglas L. Altshuler
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
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2
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Baliga VB, Dakin R, Wylie DR, Altshuler DL. Hummingbirds use distinct control strategies for forward and hovering flight. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232155. [PMID: 38196357 PMCID: PMC10777153 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The detection of optic flow is important for generating optomotor responses to mediate retinal image stabilization, and it can also be used during ongoing locomotion for centring and velocity control. Previous work in hummingbirds has separately examined the roles of optic flow during hovering and when centring through a narrow passage during forward flight. To develop a hypothesis for the visual control of forward flight velocity, we examined the behaviour of hummingbirds in a flight tunnel where optic flow could be systematically manipulated. In all treatments, the animals exhibited periods of forward flight interspersed with bouts of spontaneous hovering. Hummingbirds flew fastest when they had a reliable signal of optic flow. All optic flow manipulations caused slower flight, suggesting that hummingbirds had an expected optic flow magnitude that was disrupted. In addition, upward and downward optic flow drove optomotor responses for maintaining altitude during forward flight. When hummingbirds made voluntary transitions to hovering, optomotor responses were observed to all directions. Collectively, these results are consistent with hummingbirds controlling flight speed via mechanisms that use an internal forward model to predict expected optic flow whereas flight altitude and hovering position are controlled more directly by sensory feedback from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram B. Baliga
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Roslyn Dakin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Douglas R. Wylie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2R3
| | - Douglas L. Altshuler
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
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3
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Haque MN, Cheng B, Tobalske BW, Luo H. Hummingbirds use wing inertial effects to improve manoeuvrability. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230229. [PMID: 37788711 PMCID: PMC10547554 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hummingbirds outperform other birds in terms of aerial agility at low flight speeds. To reveal the key mechanisms that enable such unparalleled agility, we reconstructed body and wing motion of hummingbird escape manoeuvres from high-speed videos; then, we performed computational fluid dynamics modelling and flight mechanics analysis, in which the time-dependent forces within each wingbeat were resolved. We found that the birds may use the inertia of their wings to achieve peak body rotational acceleration around wing reversal when the aerodynamic forces were small. The aerodynamic forces instead counteracted the reversed inertial forces at a different wingbeat phase, thereby stabilizing the body from inertial oscillations, or they could become dominant and provide additional rotational acceleration. Our results suggest such an inertial steering mechanism was present for all four hummingbird species considered, and it was used by the birds for both pitch-up and roll accelerations. The combined inertial steering and aerodynamic mechanisms made it possible for the hummingbirds to generate instantaneous body acceleration at any phase of a wingbeat, and this feature is probably the key to understanding the unique dexterity distinguishing hummingbirds from other small-size flyers that solely rely on aerodynamics for manoeuvering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bo Cheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Haoxiang Luo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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4
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Gutiérrez-Ibáñez C, Wylie DR, Altshuler DL. From the eye to the wing: neural circuits for transforming optic flow into motor output in avian flight. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:839-854. [PMID: 37542566 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01663-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Avian flight is guided by optic flow-the movement across the retina of images of surfaces and edges in the environment due to self-motion. In all vertebrates, there is a short pathway for optic flow information to reach pre-motor areas: retinal-recipient regions in the midbrain encode optic flow, which is then sent to the cerebellum. One well-known role for optic flow pathways to the cerebellum is the control of stabilizing eye movements (the optokinetic response). However, the role of this pathway in controlling locomotion is less well understood. Electrophysiological and tract tracing studies are revealing the functional connectivity of a more elaborate circuit through the avian cerebellum, which integrates optic flow with other sensory signals. Here we review the research supporting this framework and identify the cerebellar output centres, the lateral (CbL) and medial (CbM) cerebellar nuclei, as two key nodes with potentially distinct roles in flight control. The CbM receives bilateral optic flow information and projects to sites in the brainstem that suggest a primary role for flight control over time, such as during forward flight. The CbL receives monocular optic flow and other types of visual information. This site provides feedback to sensory areas throughout the brain and has a strong projection the nucleus ruber, which is known to have a dominant role in forelimb muscle control. This arrangement suggests primary roles for the CbL in the control of wing morphing and for rapid maneuvers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas R Wylie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Douglas L Altshuler
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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5
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Fang K, Mei H, Tang Y, Wang W, Wang H, Wang Z, Dai Z. Grade-control outdoor turning flight of robo-pigeon with quantitative stimulus parameters. Front Neurorobot 2023; 17:1143601. [PMID: 37139263 PMCID: PMC10149694 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2023.1143601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The robo-pigeon using homing pigeons as a motion carrier has great potential in search and rescue operations due to its superior weight-bearing capacity and sustained flight capabilities. However, before deploying such robo-pigeons, it is necessary to establish a safe, stable, and long-term effective neuro-electrical stimulation interface and quantify the motion responses to various stimuli. Methods In this study, we investigated the effects of stimulation variables such as stimulation frequency (SF), stimulation duration (SD), and inter-stimulus interval (ISI) on the turning flight control of robo-pigeons outdoors, and evaluated the efficiency and accuracy of turning flight behavior accordingly. Results The results showed that the turning angle can be significantly controlled by appropriately increasing SF and SD. Increasing ISI can significantly control the turning radius of robotic pigeons. The success rate of turning flight control decreases significantly when the stimulation parameters exceed SF > 100 Hz or SD > 5 s. Thus, the robo-pigeon's turning angle from 15 to 55° and turning radius from 25 to 135 m could be controlled in a graded manner by selecting varying stimulus variables. Discussion These findings can be used to optimize the stimulation strategy of robo-pigeons to achieve precise control of their turning flight behavior outdoors. The results also suggest that robo-pigeons have potential for use in search and rescue operations where precise control of flight behavior is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Fang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Mei
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yezhong Tang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Hao Wang
| | - Zhouyi Wang
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- *Correspondence: Zhouyi Wang
| | - Zhendong Dai
- Institute of Bio-Inspired Structure and Surface Engineering, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Zhendong Dai
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6
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Harada N, Tanaka H. Kinematic and hydrodynamic analyses of turning manoeuvres in penguins: body banking and wing upstroke generate centripetal force. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286158. [PMID: 36408785 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Penguins perform lift-based swimming by flapping their wings. Previous kinematic and hydrodynamic studies have revealed the basics of wing motion and force generation in penguins. Although these studies have focused on steady forward swimming, the mechanism of turning manoeuvres is not well understood. In this study, we examined the horizontal turning of penguins via 3D motion analysis and quasi-steady hydrodynamic analysis. Free swimming of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at an aquarium was recorded, and body and wing kinematics were analysed. In addition, quasi-steady calculations of the forces generated by the wings were performed. Among the selected horizontal swimming manoeuvres, turning was distinguished from straight swimming by the body trajectory for each wingbeat. During the turns, the penguins maintained outward banking through a wingbeat cycle and utilized a ventral force during the upstroke as a centripetal force to turn. Within a single wingbeat during the turns, changes in the body heading and bearing also mainly occurred during the upstroke, while the subsequent downstroke accelerated the body forward. We also found contralateral differences in the wing motion, i.e. the inside wing of the turn became more elevated and pronated. Quasi-steady calculations of the wing force confirmed that the asymmetry of the wing motion contributes to the generation of the centripetal force during the upstroke and the forward force during the downstroke. The results of this study demonstrate that the hydrodynamic force of flapping wings, in conjunction with body banking, is actively involved in the mechanism of turning manoeuvres in penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Harada
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Hiroto Tanaka
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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7
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Ahmed I, Abramson CI, Faruque IA. Honey bee flights near hover under ethanol-exposure show changes in body and wing kinematics. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278916. [PMID: 36520797 PMCID: PMC9754180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Flying social insects can provide model systems for in-flight interactions in computationally-constrained aerial robot swarms. The social interactions in flying insects may be chemically modulated and quantified via recent measurement advancements able to simultaneously make precise measurements of insect wing and body motions. This paper presents the first in-flight quantitative measurements of ethanol-exposed honey bee body and wing kinematics in archival literature. Four high-speed cameras (9000 frames/sec) were used to record the wing and body motions of flying insects (Apis mellifera) and automated analysis was used to extract 9000 frame/sec measurements of honey bees' wing and body motions through data association, hull reconstruction, and segmentation. The kinematic changes induced by exposure to incremental ethanol concentrations from 0% to 5% were studied using statistical analysis tools. Analysis considered trial-wise mean and maximum values and gross wingstroke parameters, and tested deviations for statistical significance using Welch's t-test and Cohen's d test. The results indicate a decrease in maximal heading and pitch rates of the body, and that roll rate is affected at high concentrations (5%). The wingstroke effects include a stroke frequency decrease and stroke amplitude increase for 2.5% or greater concentrations, gradual stroke inclination angle increase up to 2.5% concentration, and a more planar wingstroke with increasing concentration according to bulk wingstroke analysis. These ethanol-exposure effects provide a basis to separate ethanol exposure and neighbor effects in chemically mediated interaction studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishriak Ahmed
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles I. Abramson
- Laboratory of Comparative Psychology and Behavioral Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Imraan A. Faruque
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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8
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Wing Kinematics and Unsteady Aerodynamics of a Hummingbird Pure Yawing Maneuver. Biomimetics (Basel) 2022; 7:biomimetics7030115. [PMID: 35997435 PMCID: PMC9397107 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics7030115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of few animals with the capability to execute agile yawing maneuvers, it is quite desirable to take inspiration from hummingbird flight aerodynamics. To understand the wing and body kinematics and associated aerodynamics of a hummingbird performing a free yawing maneuver, a crucial step in mimicking the biological motion in robotic systems, we paired accurate digital reconstruction techniques with high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Results of the body and wing kinematics reveal that to achieve the pure yaw maneuver, the hummingbird utilizes very little body pitching, rolling, vertical, or horizontal motion. Wing angle of incidence, stroke, and twist angles are found to be higher for the inner wing (IW) than the outer wing (OW). Unsteady aerodynamic calculations reveal that drag-based asymmetric force generation during the downstroke (DS) and upstroke (US) serves to control the speed of the turn, a characteristic that allows for great maneuvering precision. A dual-loop vortex formation during each half-stroke is found to contribute to asymmetric drag production. Wake analysis revealed that asymmetric wing kinematics led to leading-edge vortex strength differences of around 59% between the IW and OW. Finally, analysis of the role of wing flexibility revealed that flexibility is essential for generating the large torque necessary for completing the turn as well as producing sufficient lift for weight support.
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9
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Segre PS, Gough WT, Roualdes EA, Cade DE, Czapanskiy MF, Fahlbusch J, Kahane-Rapport SR, Oestreich WK, Bejder L, Bierlich KC, Burrows JA, Calambokidis J, Chenoweth EM, di Clemente J, Durban JW, Fearnbach H, Fish FE, Friedlaender AS, Hegelund P, Johnston DW, Nowacek DP, Oudejans MG, Penry GS, Potvin J, Simon M, Stanworth A, Straley JM, Szabo A, Videsen SKA, Visser F, Weir CR, Wiley DN, Goldbogen JA. Scaling of maneuvering performance in baleen whales: larger whales outperform expectations. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274595. [PMID: 35234874 PMCID: PMC8976943 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite their enormous size, whales make their living as voracious predators. To catch their much smaller, more maneuverable prey, they have developed several unique locomotor strategies that require high energetic input, high mechanical power output and a surprising degree of agility. To better understand how body size affects maneuverability at the largest scale, we used bio-logging data, aerial photogrammetry and a high-throughput approach to quantify the maneuvering performance of seven species of free-swimming baleen whale. We found that as body size increases, absolute maneuvering performance decreases: larger whales use lower accelerations and perform slower pitch-changes, rolls and turns than smaller species. We also found that baleen whales exhibit positive allometry of maneuvering performance: relative to their body size, larger whales use higher accelerations, and perform faster pitch-changes, rolls and certain types of turns than smaller species. However, not all maneuvers were impacted by body size in the same way, and we found that larger whales behaviorally adjust for their decreased agility by using turns that they can perform more effectively. The positive allometry of maneuvering performance suggests that large whales have compensated for their increased body size by evolving more effective control surfaces and by preferentially selecting maneuvers that play to their strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo S Segre
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - William T Gough
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Edward A Roualdes
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA 95929, USA
| | - David E Cade
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.,Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Max F Czapanskiy
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - James Fahlbusch
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.,Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, WA 98501, USA
| | - Shirel R Kahane-Rapport
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA.,Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA
| | | | - Lars Bejder
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA.,Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - K C Bierlich
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.,Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Julia A Burrows
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.,Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Ellen M Chenoweth
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.,Department of Natural Sciences, University of Alaska Southeast, AK 99835, USA
| | - Jacopo di Clemente
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.,Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - John W Durban
- Southall Environmental Associates, Inc., Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Holly Fearnbach
- SR3, SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation and Research, Des Moines, WA 98198, USA
| | - Frank E Fish
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, PA 19383, USA
| | - Ari S Friedlaender
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Peter Hegelund
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk 3900, Greenland
| | - David W Johnston
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Douglas P Nowacek
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | | | - Gwenith S Penry
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha 6031, South Africa
| | - Jean Potvin
- Department of Physics, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk 3900, Greenland
| | | | - Janice M Straley
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Alaska Southeast, AK 99835, USA
| | - Andrew Szabo
- Alaska Whale Foundation, Petersburg, AK 99833, USA
| | - Simone K A Videsen
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Fleur Visser
- Kelp Marine Research, 1624 CJ Hoorn, The Netherlands.,Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, 1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | | | - David N Wiley
- NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, MA 02066, USA
| | - Jeremy A Goldbogen
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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10
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Dakin R, Segre PS, Altshuler DL. Individual variation and the biomechanics of maneuvering flight in hummingbirds. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:223/20/jeb161828. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.161828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
An animal's maneuverability will determine the outcome of many of its most important interactions. A common approach to studying maneuverability is to force the animal to perform a specific maneuver or to try to elicit maximal performance. Recently, the availability of wider-field tracking technology has allowed for high-throughput measurements of voluntary behavior, an approach that produces large volumes of data. Here, we show how these data allow for measures of inter-individual variation that are necessary to evaluate how performance depends on other traits, both within and among species. We use simulated data to illustrate best practices when sampling a large number of voluntary maneuvers. Our results show how the sample average can be the best measure of inter-individual variation, whereas the sample maximum is neither repeatable nor a useful metric of the true variation among individuals. Our studies with flying hummingbirds reveal that their maneuvers fall into three major categories: simple translations, simple rotations and complex turns. Simple maneuvers are largely governed by distinct morphological and/or physiological traits. Complex turns involve both translations and rotations, and are more subject to inter-individual differences that are not explained by morphology. This three-part framework suggests that different wingbeat kinematics can be used to maximize specific aspects of maneuverability. Thus, a broad explanatory framework has emerged for interpreting hummingbird maneuverability. This framework is general enough to be applied to other types of locomotion, and informative enough to explain mechanisms of maneuverability that could be applied to both animals and bio-inspired robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Dakin
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - P. S. Segre
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 93950, USA
| | - D. L. Altshuler
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 4200-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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11
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Dakin R, Segre PS, Straw AD, Altshuler DL. Morphology, muscle capacity, skill, and maneuvering ability in hummingbirds. Science 2018; 359:653-657. [PMID: 29439237 DOI: 10.1126/science.aao7104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
How does agility evolve? This question is challenging because natural movement has many degrees of freedom and can be influenced by multiple traits. We used computer vision to record thousands of translations, rotations, and turns from more than 200 hummingbirds from 25 species, revealing that distinct performance metrics are correlated and that species diverge in their maneuvering style. Our analysis demonstrates that the enhanced maneuverability of larger species is explained by their proportionately greater muscle capacity and lower wing loading. Fast acceleration maneuvers evolve by recruiting changes in muscle capacity, whereas fast rotations and sharp turns evolve by recruiting changes in wing morphology. Both species and individuals use turns that play to their strengths. These results demonstrate how both skill and biomechanical traits shape maneuvering behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roslyn Dakin
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Paolo S Segre
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Andrew D Straw
- Department of Animal Physiology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, D-79104, Germany
| | - Douglas L Altshuler
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada.
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12
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Goller B, Segre PS, Middleton KM, Dickinson MH, Altshuler DL. Visual Sensory Signals Dominate Tactile Cues during Docked Feeding in Hummingbirds. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:622. [PMID: 29184479 PMCID: PMC5694540 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals living in and interacting with natural environments must monitor and respond to changing conditions and unpredictable situations. Using information from multiple sensory systems allows them to modify their behavior in response to their dynamic environment but also creates the challenge of integrating different, and potentially contradictory, sources of information for behavior control. Understanding how multiple information streams are integrated to produce flexible and reliable behavior is key to understanding how behavior is controlled in natural settings. Natural settings are rarely still, which challenges animals that require precise body position control, like hummingbirds, which hover while feeding from flowers. Tactile feedback, available only once the hummingbird is docked at the flower, could provide additional information to help maintain its position at the flower. To investigate the role of tactile information for hovering control during feeding, we first asked whether hummingbirds physically interact with a feeder once docked. We quantified physical interactions between docked hummingbirds and a feeder placed in front of a stationary background pattern. Force sensors on the feeder measured a complex time course of loading that reflects the wingbeat frequency and bill movement of feeding hummingbirds, and suggests that they sometimes push against the feeder with their bill. Next, we asked whether the measured tactile interactions were used by feeding hummingbirds to maintain position relative to the feeder. We created two experimental scenarios-one in which the feeder was stationary and the visual background moved and the other where the feeder moved laterally in front of a white background. When the visual background pattern moved, docked hummingbirds pushed significantly harder in the direction of horizontal visual motion. When the feeder moved, and the background was stationary, hummingbirds generated aerodynamic force in the opposite direction of the feeder motion. These results suggest that docked hummingbirds are using visual information about the environment to maintain body position and orientation, and not actively tracking the motion of the feeder. The absence of flower tracking behavior in hummingbirds contrasts with the behavior of hawkmoths, and provides evidence that they rely primarily on the visual background rather than flower-based cues while feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Goller
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paolo S. Segre
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kevin M. Middleton
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Michael H. Dickinson
- Bioengineering and Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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13
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Liu P, Cheng B. Limitations of rotational manoeuvrability in insects and hummingbirds: evaluating the effects of neuro-biomechanical delays and muscle mechanical power. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:rsif.2017.0068. [PMID: 28679665 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Flying animals ranging in size from fruit flies to hummingbirds are nimble fliers with remarkable rotational manoeuvrability. The degrees of manoeuvrability among these animals, however, are noticeably diverse and do not simply follow scaling rules of flight dynamics or muscle power capacity. As all manoeuvres emerge from the complex interactions of neural, physiological and biomechanical processes of an animal's flight control system, these processes give rise to multiple limiting factors that dictate the maximal manoeuvrability attainable by an animal. Here using functional models of an animal's flight control system, we investigate the effects of three such limiting factors, including neural and biomechanical (from limited flapping frequency) delays and muscle mechanical power, for two insect species and two hummingbird species, undergoing roll, pitch and yaw rotations. The results show that for animals with similar degree of manoeuvrability, for example, fruit flies and hummingbirds, the underlying limiting factors are different, as the manoeuvrability of fruit flies is only limited by neural delays and that of hummingbirds could be limited by all three factors. In addition, the manoeuvrability also appears to be the highest about the roll axis as it requires the least muscle mechanical power and can tolerate the largest neural delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Bo Cheng
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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14
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Chin DD, Matloff LY, Stowers AK, Tucci ER, Lentink D. Inspiration for wing design: how forelimb specialization enables active flight in modern vertebrates. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:20170240. [PMID: 28592663 PMCID: PMC5493806 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Harnessing flight strategies refined by millions of years of evolution can help expedite the design of more efficient, manoeuvrable and robust flying robots. This review synthesizes recent advances and highlights remaining gaps in our understanding of how bird and bat wing adaptations enable effective flight. Included in this discussion is an evaluation of how current robotic analogues measure up to their biological sources of inspiration. Studies of vertebrate wings have revealed skeletal systems well suited for enduring the loads required during flight, but the mechanisms that drive coordinated motions between bones and connected integuments remain ill-described. Similarly, vertebrate flight muscles have adapted to sustain increased wing loading, but a lack of in vivo studies limits our understanding of specific muscular functions. Forelimb adaptations diverge at the integument level, but both bird feathers and bat membranes yield aerodynamic surfaces with a level of robustness unparalleled by engineered wings. These morphological adaptations enable a diverse range of kinematics tuned for different flight speeds and manoeuvres. By integrating vertebrate flight specializations-particularly those that enable greater robustness and adaptability-into the design and control of robotic wings, engineers can begin narrowing the wide margin that currently exists between flying robots and vertebrates. In turn, these robotic wings can help biologists create experiments that would be impossible in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana D Chin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laura Y Matloff
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Kay Stowers
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Emily R Tucci
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Lentink
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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15
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Segre PS, Dakin R, Read TJ, Straw AD, Altshuler DL. Mechanical Constraints on Flight at High Elevation Decrease Maneuvering Performance of Hummingbirds. Curr Biol 2016; 26:3368-3374. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Cheng B, Tobalske BW, Powers DR, Hedrick TL, Wethington SM, Chiu GTC, Deng X. Flight mechanics and control of escape manoeuvres in hummingbirds I. Flight kinematics. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:3518-3531. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.137539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hummingbirds are nature‘s masters of aerobatic manoeuvres. Previous research shows hummingbirds and insects converged evolutionarily upon similar aerodynamic mechanisms and kinematics in hovering. Herein, we use three-dimensional kinematic data to begin to test for similar convergence of kinematics used for escape flight and to explore the effects of body size upon manoeuvring. We studied four hummingbird species in North America including two large species (magnificent hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens, 7.8 g and blue-throated hummingbird, Lampornis clemenciae, 8.0 g) and two smaller species (broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris, 3.4 g and black-chinned hummingbirds Archilochus alexandri, 3.1 g). Starting from a steady hover, hummingbirds consistently manoeuvred away from perceived threats using a drastic escape response that featured body pitch and roll rotations coupled with a large linear acceleration. Hummingbirds changed their flapping frequency and wing trajectory in all three degrees-of-freedom on stroke-by-stroke basis, likely causing rapid and significant alteration of the magnitude and direction of aerodynamic forces. Thus it appears that the flight control of hummingbirds does not obey the “helicopter model” that is valid for similar escape manoeuvres in fruit flies. Except for broad-billed hummingbirds, the hummingbirds had faster reaction times than those reported for visual feedback control in insects. The two larger hummingbird species performed pitch rotations and global-yaw turns with considerably larger magnitude than the smaller species, but roll rates and cumulative roll angles were similar among the four species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cheng
- Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Donald R. Powers
- Biology & Chemistry Department, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
| | - Tyson L. Hedrick
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | - George T. C. Chiu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xinyan Deng
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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