Exploring the Limits of Behavior, Muscle Activity, and Wing Kinematics of Linear Flower Tracking Regime
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Sigili, Haritha
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Abstract
Animals have a linear tendency when tracking objects. The same principle applies to the Manduca sexta, which has an overall linear behavior when tracking the unpredictable flower that they feed from. There are many subsystems that are involved including sensorimotor control, specifically visual and mechanical reception, muscle physiology, and wing kinematics. By looking at these individual system, the linearity of these subsystems can be analyzed to determine how they contribute the linearity of the hawkmoth’s behavior and explore the limits of this control using free flight tracking of wing kinematics and EMG and wing kinematic activity. First, by looking at the aerodynamics and sensorimotor systems, there exists a linear relationship within the aerodynamics across three incrementing sum of sine stimuli. There is a nonlinear tendency in the magnitude of the gain at higher frequencies of the largest stimulus amplitude for the sensorimotor system. This means that there must exists a nonlinear relationship elsewhere to cancel out and create an overall linear behavior. Looking at the relationship between wing kinematics and muscle activity is a preliminary start. Across the same stimulus, there exists no correlation between the both the right 3rd axillary and right DVM and the deviation and flapping angle. There is a relationship when looking at the bilateral latency for these muscles. The bilateral latency of the 3rd axillary muscle shows negative correlation for the timing and both the deviation and flapping angle, while the DVM bilateral latency shows a positive correlation for the timing and both the deviation and flapping angle. These results show us that there is variation occurring in the difference between the right and left muscles that lead to a variation in the wing activity.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis