"Navigation - finding their way around - is a challenging problem for robots but crickets have inspired computer scientists at the University of Stirling to come up with a new way for robots to do it. Female crickets can find male crickets by homing in on the song they sing. A cricket's ears are actually in their front legs. Sounds arrive at the ears, which being on the legs are as far a part as is possible in a cricket. The legs act as long tubes down which waves of pressure pass as a result of the sound waves hitting them. A sound on one side of the cricket arrives at the ear on that side sooner than the other ear. This turns into a different amount of pressure in the tubes on either side of the crickets head. The cricket's brain can work out locations from the pressure differences, telling the cricket where the sound is coming from.
The Stirling researchers have created a similar mechanism to work in robots allowing them to navigate towards sounds"
5 comments:
I never knew that! I used to have fun when I was very little, sneaking up on crickets on hot nights to find when they would be aware of me and stop. I think we all did that.One of the few ways a four year old feels powerful I guess. Wish I had the same effect in the classroom. I envy those teachers who walk in and everyone is instantly quiet.
You have a wonderful site here. You should think about joining Sky Watch Friday. http://skyley.blogspot.com
Mr Bee! I love the tree fungus and the TOAD STOOL!
I really love the sound of crickets as it reminds me of late summer, early fall when I was child growing up in the country. I really enjoyed your post!
Giliian
What an amazing photo, so much detail. x
Post a Comment