A5065688000- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Robotic Locomotion and Control
- Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Motor Control and Adaptation
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Sports Performance and Training
- Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence
- Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions
- Plant and animal studies
- Neural Networks and Applications
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Neural Networks and Reservoir Computing
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
- Fossil Insects in Amber
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Sports Dynamics and Biomechanics
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Human Motion and Animation
Bielefeld University
2014-2023
University of Cologne
2008
Australian National University
1999
SUMMARY The control of locomotion requires the ability to adapt movement sequences behavioural context animal. In hexapod walking, adaptive transitions require orchestration at least 18 leg joints and twice as many muscle groups. Although kinematics has been studied in several arthropod species a range different behaviours,almost nothing is known about transition from one state another. Implicitly, most studies on context-dependency assume that all parameters undergo change during do so same...
Insects carry a pair of actively movable feelers that supply the animal with range multimodal information. The antennae stick insect Carausius morosus are straight and nearly same length as legs, making them ideal probes for near-range exploration. Indeed, insects, like many other use antennal contact information adaptive control locomotion, example, in climbing. Moreover, active exploratory movement pattern is context-dependent. first objective present study to reveal significance efficient...
Determining the mechanical output of limb joints is critical for understanding control complex motor behaviours such as walking. In case insect walking, neural infrastructure single-joint well described. However, a detailed description in form time-varying joint torques lacking. Here, we determine stick to identify leg function body height and propulsion. Torques were determined by measuring whole-body kinematics ground reaction forces freely walking animals. We demonstrate that despite...
Animals rely on an adaptive coordination of legs during walking. However, which specific mechanisms underlie natural locomotion remains largely unknown. One hypothesis is that can be coordinated mechanically based a transfer body load from one leg to another. To test this hypothesis, we simultaneously recorded kinematics, ground reaction forces and muscle activity in freely walking stick insects ( Carausius morosus ). Based torque calculations, show sensors (campaniform sensilla) at the...
Despite substantial advances in many different fields of neurorobotics general, and biomimetic robots particular, a key challenge is the integration concepts: to collate combine research on disparate conceptually disjunct areas neurosciences engineering sciences. We claim that development suitable robotic platforms particular relevance make such concepts work practice. Here we provide an example for hexapod platform autonomous locomotion. In sequence six focus sections dealing with aspects...
ABSTRACT Insects are capable of efficient locomotion in a spatially complex environment, such as walking on forest floor or climbing bush. One behavioural mechanism underlying adaptability is the searching movement that occurs after loss ground contact. Here, kinematic sequence leg movements stick insect Carausius morosus analysed. Searching shown to be stereotypic rhythmic sequences consisting several loops. The typical loop structure allows mean tarsus trajectory calculated using...
BackgroundAdaptive, context-dependent control of locomotion requires modulation centrally generated rhythmic motor patterns through peripheral loops and postural reflexes. Thus assuming that the accounts for much behavioural variability observed in legged locomotion, investigating is a key to understanding mechanisms locomotion. To date, unrestrained poorly understood, virtually nothing known about features characterise natural statistics In this study, we quantify hexapedal walking climbing...
Abstract Legged locomotion through natural environments is very complex and variable. For example, leg kinematics may differ strongly among species, but even within the same species it adaptive context-dependent. Inter-species differences in are often difficult to interpret, because both morphological ecological be strong and, as a consequence, confound each other's effects. In order understand better how body morphology affects legged locomotion, we compare unrestrained whole-body of three...
ABSTRACT During walking, the leg motor system must continually adjust to changes in mechanical conditions, such as inclination of ground. To understand underlying control, it is important know how muscle activity relate kinematics (movements) and dynamics (forces, torques). Here, we studied these parameters hindlegs stick insects (Carausius morosus) during level uphill/downhill (±45 deg) using a combination electromyography, 3D motion capture ground reaction force measurements. We find that...
Abstract Animals that live in a spatially complex environment such as the canopy of tree, constantly need to find reliable foothold three-dimensional (3D) space. In multi-legged animals, spatial coordination among legs is thought improve efficiency finding by avoiding searching-movements trailing legs. stick insects, "targeting mechanism" has been described guides foot-placement hind and middle according position their leading ipsilateral leg. So far, this mechanism was shown for standing...
Appropriate coordination of stepping in adjacent legs is crucial for stable walking. Several leg rules have been derived from behavioural experiments on walking insects, some which also apply to arthropods with more than six and four-legged vertebrates. Three these affect the timing stance-swing transition [rules 1 3 (sensu Cruse)]. They can give rise normal adaptive responses disturbances, as shown by kinematic simulations dynamic hardware tests. In spite their importance study animal...
Vertebrates and arthropods are both capable of load compensation during aimed limb movements, such as reaching grooming. We measured the kinematics activity individual motoneurons in loaded unloaded leg movements an insect. To evaluate role active passive musculoskeletal properties aiming compensation, we used a neuromechanical model femur–tibia joint that transformed extensor flexor motoneuron spikes into kinematics. The comprises three steps: first, activation dynamics module determines...
In this comparative in vivo study of dendritic calcium accumulation, we describe the time course and spatial integration properties two classes visual interneurons lobula plate blowfly. Calcium accumulation was measured during motion stimulation, ensuring synaptic activation neurons within their natural temporal operating range. The compared cell classes, centrifugal horizontal (CH) system (HS) cells, are known to receive retinotopic input similar direction selectivity, but differ...
Motion adaptation in directionally selective tangential cells (TC) of the fly visual system has previously been explained as a presynaptic mechanism. Based on observation that is part direction selective, which not accounted for by former models motion adaptation, we investigated whether physiological changes located TC dendrite can contribute to adaptation. Visual neuron's preferred (PD) induced stronger than opposite and was followed an afterhyperpolarization (AHP). The AHP subsides same...
Many insects actively explore their near-range environment with antennae. Stick (Carausius morosus) rhythmically move antennae during walking and respond to antennal touch by repetitive tactile sampling of the object. Despite its relevance for spatial orientation, neither patterns nor kinematics antennation behaviour in are understood. Here we investigate unrestrained bilateral movements climbing steps. The main objectives are: (1) How does contact pattern relate particular object features?...