The dung beetle, known for its unique ability to steer using the stars, was identified in 2013 as the first species to utilize the Milky Way for nocturnal navigation. Swedish researchers made this discovery, observing that the beetles rely on the galaxy's light to move dung balls in a straight line, avoiding competition.
A decade later, engineers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) are applying this natural technique to artificial intelligence (AI) technology. They are developing a sensor that accurately determines the orientation of the Milky Way in low-light conditions, which could enhance navigation systems in modern technology.
Professor Javaan Chahl, a remote sensing engineer at UniSA, along with his PhD students, has utilized computer vision to show that the broad band of light from the Milky Way is stable, even during motion, unlike individual stars that can blur.
"Nocturnal dung beetles move their head and body extensively when rolling balls of manure across a field, needing a fixed orientation point in the night sky to help them steer in a straight line," Prof Chahl says. "Their tiny compound eyes make it difficult to distinguish individual stars, particularly while in motion, whereas the Milky Way is highly visible."
In their experiments, the researchers used a camera mounted on a vehicle to capture images of the Milky Way both at rest and in motion. This data allowed them to create a computer vision system that can reliably measure the Milky Way's orientation, marking a crucial step toward building a new navigation system.
Their findings were published in the journal *Biomimetics*.
Lead author UniSA PhD candidate Yiting Tao says the orientation sensor could be a backup method to stabilize satellites and help drones and robots to navigate in low light, even when there is a lot of blur caused by movement and vibration.
"For the next step I want to put the algorithm on a drone and allow it to control the aircraft in flight during the night," Tao says.
During the day, insects like wasps, dragonflies, honeybees, and desert ants use the sun to navigate. At night, the moon serves as a guide for many nocturnal insects, but it's not always visible. Dung beetles and some moths instead use the Milky Way for orientation.
Prof Chahl says insect vision has long inspired engineers where navigation systems are concerned.
"Insects have been solving navigational problems for millions of years, including those that even the most advanced machines struggle with. And they've done it in a tiny little package. Their brains consist of tens of thousands of neurons compared to billions of neurons in humans, yet they still manage to find solutions from the natural world."
Computer vision techniques demonstrate robust orientation measurement of the Milky Way despite image motion
Research Report:Dung beetles guided by the Milky Way
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