Insect climbing: surface attachment, sloped locomotion and implications for robotics

• Applicant: Dr. Tom Weihmann
• Subject Area: Sensory and Behavioural Biology
• Term: from 2013 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 236408618

Most legged terrestrial animals are challenged by environments with sloped substrates; therefore climbing is a common task. Particularly small animals like insects are frequently faced with varying slope angles, including vertical and inverted substrates. The underlying mechanisms and principles of climbing are complex and depend on slope and specific anatomy. Climbing behaviour is affected by a variety of factors, including the animal's gross anatomy, the structure of attachment devices, kinematics, dynamics and control. The complex interactions between these factors are still largely unexplored and an integrative examination of these effects will permit deeper insights and reveal limits of climbing systems in general. Such examinations will furthermore shed light on adaptations of animals in their specific ecological context. Thus, scaling constraints may prevent larger animals like mammals from using the same mechanisms as small insects. Conversely, different morphological characteristics may result in different climbing abilities of similar-sized animals. The understanding of climbing mechanics depends on combined analyses of detailed kinematics, ground reaction forces and strong consideration of surface attachment mechanisms. The elements of this complex study shall be examined by simultaneous measurements of 3D kinematics, ground reaction forces and applying specific manipulations of attachment structures and body height. Getting insights into the interaction of anatomical and functional as well as physiological properties in turn is a basic requirement to choose those mechanisms, which are best convertible into technical implementations. The integration of my expertise with regard to arthropod biomechanics in a leading group in the field of insect attachment, will allow for getting groundbreaking insights in the biomechanics of climbing. On the way towards fast climbing devices, with the results gained in this proposal, it will be possible to realise manmade machines that fulfil tasks in environments inaccessible for wheeled vehicles.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Professor Dr. Walter Federle