A biohybrid fly-robot interface system that performs active collision avoidance. (6th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Jiaqi V; Wei, Yiran; Krapp, Holger G
• Is Part Of: Bioinspiration & biomimetics. Volume 14:Number 6(2019:Nov.)
• Publication Date: 2019-09-06
• Subjects: motion vision -- brain machine interface -- blowfly -- h1-cell -- collision avoidance -- wall following; Biomimetics -- Periodicals; Biomedical materials -- Periodicals; Medical innovations -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; 600
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab3b23
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-3182

Abstract

Abstract: We have designed a bio-hybrid fly-robot interface (FRI) to study sensorimotor control in insects. The FRI consists of a miniaturized recording platform mounted on a two-wheeled robot and is controlled by the neuronal spiking activity of an identified visual interneuron, the blowfly H1-cell. For a given turning radius of the robot, we found a proportional relationship between the spike rate of the H1-cell and the relative distance of the FRI from the patterned wall of an experimental arena. Under closed-loop conditions during oscillatory forward movements biased towards the wall, collision avoidance manoeuvres were triggered whenever the H1-cell spike rate exceeded a certain threshold value. We also investigated the FRI behaviour in corners of the arena. The ultimate goal is to enable autonomous and energy-efficient manoeuvrings of the FRI within arbitrary visual environments.