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Kim G, An J, Ha S, Kim AJ. A deep learning analysis of Drosophila body kinematics during magnetically tethered flight. J Neurogenet 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37200153 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2023.2210682] [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: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Flying Drosophila rely on their vision to detect visual objects and adjust their flight course. Despite their robust fixation on a dark, vertical bar, our understanding of the underlying visuomotor neural circuits remains limited, in part due to difficulties in analyzing detailed body kinematics in a sensitive behavioral assay. In this study, we observed the body kinematics of flying Drosophila using a magnetically tethered flight assay, in which flies are free to rotate around their yaw axis, enabling naturalistic visual and proprioceptive feedback. Additionally, we used deep learning-based video analyses to characterize the kinematics of multiple body parts in flying animals. By applying this pipeline of behavioral experiments and analyses, we characterized the detailed body kinematics during rapid flight turns (or saccades) in two different visual conditions: spontaneous flight saccades under static screen and bar-fixating saccades while tracking a rotating bar. We found that both types of saccades involved movements of multiple body parts and that the overall dynamics were comparable. Our study highlights the importance of sensitive behavioral assays and analysis tools for characterizing complex visual behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geonil Kim
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - JoonHu An
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Subin Ha
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Anmo J Kim
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
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2
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Modeling and Control of an Articulated Multibody Aircraft. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12031162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Insects use dynamic articulation and actuation of their abdomen and other appendages to augment aerodynamic flight control. These dynamic phenomena in flight serve many purposes, including maintaining balance, enhancing stability, and extending maneuverability. The behaviors have been observed and measured by biologists but have not been well modeled in a flight dynamics framework. Biological appendages are generally comparatively large, actuated in rotation, and serve multiple biological functions. Technological moving masses for flight control have tended to be compact, translational, internally mounted and dedicated to the task. Many flight characteristics of biological flyers far exceed any technological flyers on the same scale. Mathematical tools that support modern control techniques to explore and manage these actuator functions may unlock new opportunities to achieve agility. The compact tensor model of multibody aircraft flight dynamics developed here allows unified dynamic and aerodynamic simulation and control of bioinspired aircraft with wings and any number of idealized appendage masses. The demonstrated aircraft model was a dragonfly-like fixed-wing aircraft. The control effect of the moving abdomen was comparable to the control surfaces, with lateral abdominal motion substituting for an aerodynamic rudder to achieve coordinated turns. Vertical fuselage motion achieved the same effect as an elevator, and included potentially useful transient torque reactions both up and down. The best performance was achieved when both moving masses and control surfaces were employed in the control solution. An aircraft with fuselage actuation combined with conventional control surfaces could be managed with a modern optimal controller designed using the multibody flight dynamics model presented here.
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Losick VP, Duhaime LG. The endocycle restores tissue tension in the Drosophila abdomen post wound repair. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109827. [PMID: 34644579 PMCID: PMC8567445 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyploidy frequently arises in response to injury, aging, and disease. Despite its prevalence, major gaps exist in our understanding of how polyploid cells alter tissue function. In the adult Drosophila epithelium, wound healing is dependent on the generation of multinucleated polyploid cells resulting in a permanent change in the epithelial architecture. Here, we study how the wound-induced polyploid cells affect tissue function by altering epithelial mechanics. The mechanosensor nonmuscle myosin II is activated and upregulated in wound-induced polyploid cells and persists after healing completes. Polyploidy enhances relative epithelial tension, which is dependent on the endocycle and not cell fusion post injury. Remarkably, the enhanced epithelial tension mimics the relative tension of the lateral muscle fibers, which are permanently severed by the injury. As a result, we found that the wound-induced polyploid cells remodel the epithelium to maintain fly abdominal movements, which may help compensate for lost tissue tension. Losick and Duhaime show that the generation of polyploid cells by the endocycle induces myosin expression resulting in enhanced epithelial tension after wound repair. This change in epithelial mechanics appears to compensate for the permanent loss of muscle fibers, which is necessary for efficient abdominal bending in the fruit fly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki P Losick
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Levi G Duhaime
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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Kosaka T, Gan JH, Long LD, Umezu S, Sato H. Remote radio control of insect flight reveals why beetles lift their legs in flight while other insects tightly fold. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:036001. [PMID: 33513597 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/abe138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the research and development of micro air vehicles, understanding and imitating the flight mechanism of insects presents a viable way of progressing forward. While research is being conducted on the flight mechanism of insects such as flies and dragonflies, research on beetles that can carry larger loads is limited. Here, we clarified the beetle midlegs' role in the attenuation and cessation of the wingbeat. We anatomically confirmed the connection between the midlegs and the elytra. We also further clarified which pair of legs are involved in the wingbeat attenuation mechanism, and lastly demonstrated free-flight control via remote leg muscle stimulation. Observation of multiple landings using a high-speed camera revealed that the wingbeat stopped immediately after their midlegs were lowered. Moreover, the action of lowering the midleg attenuated and often stopped the wingbeat. A miniature remote stimulation device (backpack) mountable on beetles was designed and utilized for the free-flight demonstration. Beetles in free flight were remotely induced into lowering (swing down) each leg pair via electrical stimulation, and they were found to lose significant altitude only when the midlegs were stimulated. Thus, the results of this study revealed that swinging down of the midlegs played a significant role in beetle wingbeat cessation. In the future, our findings on the wingbeat attenuation and cessation mechanism are expected to be helpful in designing bioinspired micro air vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Kosaka
- Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
| | - Jia Hui Gan
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Le Duc Long
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Shinjiro Umezu
- Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sato
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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James WR, Styga JM, White S, Marson KM, Earley RL. Phenotypically plastic responses to predation threat in the mangrove rivulus fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus): behavior and morphology. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9952-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Biswas T, Rao S, Bhandawat V. A simple extension of inverted pendulum template to explain features of slow walking ✰. J Theor Biol 2018; 457:112-123. [PMID: 30138629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion involves complex interactions between an organism and its environment. Despite these complex interactions, many characteristics of the motion of an animal's center of mass (COM) can be modeled using simple mechanical models such as inverted pendulum (IP) and spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) which employ a single effective leg to model an animal's COM. However, because these models are simple, they also have many limitations. We show that one limitation of IP and SLIP and many other simple mechanical models of locomotion is that they cannot model many observed features of locomotion at slow speeds. This limitation is due to the fact that the gravitational force is too strong, and, if unopposed, compels the animal to complete its stance in a relatively short time. We propose a new model, AS-IP (Angular Spring modulated Inverted Pendulum), in which the body is attached to the leg using springs which resist the leg's movement away from the vertical plane, and thus provides a means to model forces that effectively counter gravity. We show that AS-IP provides a mechanism by which an animal can tune its stance duration, and provide evidence that AS-IP is an excellent model for the motion of a fly's COM. More generally, we conclude that combining AS-IP with SLIP will greatly expand our ability to model legged locomotion over a range of speeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suhas Rao
- Department of Biology, Duke University, USA
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Li Y, Cao F, Vo Doan TT, Sato H. Role of outstretched forelegs of flying beetles revealed and demonstrated by remote leg stimulation in free flight. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:3499-3507. [PMID: 28754717 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.159376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In flight, many insects fold their forelegs tightly close to the body, which naturally decreases drag or air resistance. However, flying beetles stretch out their forelegs for some reason. Why do they adopt this posture in flight? Here, we show the role of the stretched forelegs in flight of the beetle Mecynorrhina torquata Using leg motion tracking and electromyography in flight, we found that the forelegs were voluntarily swung clockwise in yaw to induce counter-clockwise rotation of the body for turning left, and vice versa. Furthermore, we demonstrated remote control of left-right turnings in flight by swinging the forelegs via a remote electrical stimulator for the leg muscles. The results and demonstration reveal that the beetle's forelegs play a supplemental role in directional steering during flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Feng Cao
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Tat Thang Vo Doan
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Hirotaka Sato
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
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Zeng Y, Lam K, Chen Y, Gong M, Xu Z, Dudley R. Biomechanics of aerial righting in wingless nymphal stick insects. Interface Focus 2017; 7:20160075. [PMID: 28163868 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous wingless arthropods as well as diverse vertebrates are capable of mid-air righting. We studied the biomechanics of the aerial righting reflex in first-instar nymphs of the stick insect Extatosoma tiaratum. After being released upside-down, insects reoriented dorsoventrally and stabilized body posture via active modulation of limb positions and associated aerodynamic torques. We identified specific reflexes for bilaterally asymmetric leg displacements which elicit body rotation and subsequently stabilize mid-air posture. Coordinated appendicular movements thus improve torsional manoeuvrability in the absence of wings, as may have characterized the initial origins of controlled aerial behaviour in arthropods. Design of small aerial or multimodal robotic vehicles may similarly benefit from use of such strategies for flight control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zeng
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Physics, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Kenrick Lam
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720 , USA
| | - Yuexiang Chen
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720 , USA
| | - Mengsha Gong
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720 , USA
| | - Zheyuan Xu
- Department of Integrative Biology , University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720 , USA
| | - Robert Dudley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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Lehmann FO, Bartussek J. Neural control and precision of flight muscle activation in Drosophila. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:1-14. [PMID: 27942807 PMCID: PMC5263198 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-016-1133-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Precision of motor commands is highly relevant in a large context of various locomotor behaviors, including stabilization of body posture, heading control and directed escape responses. While posture stability and heading control in walking and swimming animals benefit from high friction via ground reaction forces and elevated viscosity of water, respectively, flying animals have to cope with comparatively little aerodynamic friction on body and wings. Although low frictional damping in flight is the key to the extraordinary aerial performance and agility of flying birds, bats and insects, it challenges these animals with extraordinary demands on sensory integration and motor precision. Our review focuses on the dynamic precision with which Drosophila activates its flight muscular system during maneuvering flight, considering relevant studies on neural and muscular mechanisms of thoracic propulsion. In particular, we tackle the precision with which flies adjust power output of asynchronous power muscles and synchronous flight control muscles by monitoring muscle calcium and spike timing within the stroke cycle. A substantial proportion of the review is engaged in the significance of visual and proprioceptive feedback loops for wing motion control including sensory integration at the cellular level. We highlight that sensory feedback is the basis for precise heading control and body stability in flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fritz-Olaf Lehmann
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Jan Bartussek
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059, Rostock, Germany
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Dickinson MH, Muijres FT. The aerodynamics and control of free flight manoeuvres in Drosophila. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150388. [PMID: 27528778 PMCID: PMC4992712 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A firm understanding of how fruit flies hover has emerged over the past two decades, and recent work has focused on the aerodynamic, biomechanical and neurobiological mechanisms that enable them to manoeuvre and resist perturbations. In this review, we describe how flies manipulate wing movement to control their body motion during active manoeuvres, and how these actions are regulated by sensory feedback. We also discuss how the application of control theory is providing new insight into the logic and structure of the circuitry that underlies flight stability.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Dickinson
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Florian T Muijres
- Wageningen University and Research Center, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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