Biological & Soft Matter Seminar: Tiny wings, big feat: instability and control in flying insects

Abstract:

A flapping insect is a nonlinear dynamical system, strongly coupled to unsteady and complex fluid flows. Furthermore, flying insects are subject to fast-growing mechanical instabilities that must be controlled to enable flight. Hence, similar to balancing a stick on one's fingertip, insect flight is a delicate balancing act made possible only by continuous, fast sensory integration and corrective actions.

We focus on open questions in insect flight research that are associated with flight control mechanisms, aerodynamics and stability, sensory integration and energetic optimality. For example, combining mid-air perturbation experiments, 3D tracking methods, and inverse-dynamics simulation, we revealed a new flight control mechanism in mosquitoes, where they use the inertia of their legs for rapid aerial steering based on the conservation of angular momentum. Additionally, we use computational fluid dynamics to understand the inherent flight instability of fruit flies, present theoretical results on the energetic optimality of flapping flight and oscillating systems in general, and demonstrate how insects can fly in total darkness. These findings reveal the intricate interplay of aerodynamics, biomechanics, and sensory feedback that enables the maneuverability and grace of flying insects.