. | . |
Most complete exploration of fly landing maneuvers to advance future robots by Staff Writers University Park PA (SPX) Oct 24, 2019
To inspire advanced robotic technology, researchers in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering have published the most complete description of how flying insects land upside-down. The paper was published Oct. 23 in Science Advances. "Through this work, we sought to understand how a fly executes the maneuvers of landing upside down in the blink of an eye," said Bo Cheng, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and lead author of the paper. It's arguably the most difficult and least-understood aerobatic maneuver conducted by flying insects, according to Cheng. "Ultimately, we want to replicate that in engineering, but we have to understand it first," Cheng said. Along with Penn State's Jean-Michel Mongeau, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Pan Liu, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, Cheng aims to understand the biomechanical and sensory processes that flies use to land on different surfaces like ceilings and moving objects. "We look at nature for inspiration. This helps drive the fundamental science of engineering, to understand how flies are able to solve these problems so we can apply them to future technologies." To gather their data, the team first examined the flies' inverted landing behaviors in a flight chamber using high-speed videography. Their study found that the insects usually execute four perfectly timed maneuvers to land upside down: they increase their speed, complete a rapid body rotational maneuver (likened to a cartwheel), perform a sweeping leg extension and, finally, land through a leg-assisted body swing when their feet are firmly planted on the ceiling. The researchers also believe these actions are set in motion by a series of complex visual and sensory cues the flies perceive as they approach their desired landing spot. "Within the blink of an eye, these flies can totally invert their body and land, which is quite spectacular," Mongeau said. "We see it all the time happening around us, but we've demonstrated the complexity of the maneuver. There is a lot of interest for robots to be able to do the same." However, current robotic technology sorely lacks the speed and efficiency needed to execute the same maneuvers. "We look at nature for inspiration," Mongeau said. "This helps drive the fundamental science of engineering, to understand how flies are able to solve these problems so we can apply them to future technologies." In addition to advancing robotics, the implications of this work can also be applied to the field of neuroscience. "How is a fly's nervous system able to do this so quickly?" Mongeau said. "This work reiterates how fast these maneuvers are executed within an extremely small nervous system. This data can lead to new hypotheses for understanding how brains function."
ImSAR LLC wins $$7.2M contract for work on RQ-21A UAV Washington (UPI) Oct 11, 2019 ImSAR LLC was awarded a $7.2 million contract for work on payload systems and communications packages of the RQ-21 Blackjack unmanned aerial system. The cost-plus-fixed fee delivery order against a previous ordering agreement calls for work to be executed by October 2020, the Defense Department announced Thursday. The RQ-21 Blackjack is 8.2 feet long, weighs 134 pounds and has a wingspan of 15.7 feet. It can carry a payload of up to 39 pounds, and is used primarily for forward reconnaiss ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |