Researchers from the university of Tokyo have a robot developed that is powered by a zijdevlinder. The robot is used to opsporingsgedrag of the insect to analyze.
As director of the robot is chosen for a male zijdevlindertje, a distance of 180 centimetres had to give it up. The butterfly was by a ‘wind tunnel’ attracted by female pheromones in the direction to blow up. Because the butterfly in the direction of the scent tries to walk, move the ball on which the butterfly state, and moves the robot in the direction of the scent. The pattern in which the moth to the feromonenbron walked, proved to be exceptional: a combination of zigzag, straight and more than 360 degrees.
To see how the butterfly adapts to changing circumstances, and then a deviation to the right in the robot programmed. The insect proved to adapt swiftly to changed circumstances and really get to the source of the pheromones. In total, the experiment carried out with fourteen zijdevlinders, all of which the goal is achieved. Ultimately hope the researchers with the knowledge of new autonomous robots to develop these smells can pick up, such as sources of pollution. For the control of these autonomous robots like the researchers in a robot implanted insectenhersenen bets.