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Atlanta, GA | Posted: September 18, 2015
Director of Research News
Phone: 404.894.6986
Summary Sentence:
How the hawkmoth tracks flowers in the dark has surprising applications for airborne robots.
Full Summary:
No summary paragraph submitted.
Hawkmoth
Simon Sponberg with hawkmothIt’s difficult enough to see things in the dark, but what if you also had to hover in midair while tracking a flower moving in the wind?
That's the challenge the hummingbird-sized hawkmoth must overcome while feeding on the nectar of its favorite flowers.
Using high-speed infrared cameras and 3-D-printed robotic flowers, scientists have now learned how this insect juggles these complex sensing and control challenges — all while adjusting to changing light conditions.
What the researchers have discovered could help the next generation of small flying robots operate efficiently under a broad range of lighting conditions.
Read more about this fascinating study in the Research Horizons story, Multitasking Moths.
