Introduction
Imagine navigating through the darkness of space using the light of the Milky Way as your guide. While this may seem like a task for astronauts and space explorers, nature has already achieved this feat with the humble dung beetle. For millions of years, these insects have been using the Milky Way to navigate and orient themselves in the absence of sunlight. And now, researchers are applying this natural technique to develop advanced navigation systems for drones, robots, and satellites.
Milky Way Navigation in Dung Beetles Inspires Advanced Drone and Satellite Systems
Milky Way navigation in dung beetles inspires advanced drone and satellite systems
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
An insect that has been navigating using the Milky Way for 130 million years is now inspiring innovations in drone, robot, and satellite navigation systems.
The dung beetle, known for its unique ability to steer using the stars, was identified in 2013 as the first species to utilize the Milky Way for nocturnal navigation. Swedish researchers made this discovery, observing that the beetles rely on the galaxy’s light to move dung balls in a straight line, avoiding competition.
A decade later, engineers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) are applying this natural technique to artificial intelligence (AI) technology. They are developing a sensor that accurately determines the orientation of the Milky Way in low-light conditions, which could enhance navigation systems in modern technology.
Professor Javaan Chahl, a remote sensing engineer at UniSA, along with his PhD students, has utilized computer vision to show that the broad band of light from the Milky Way is stable, even during motion, unlike individual stars that can blur.
“Nocturnal dung beetles move their head and body extensively when rolling balls of manure across a field, needing a fixed orientation point in the night sky to help them steer in a straight line,” Prof Chahl says. “Their tiny compound eyes make it difficult to distinguish individual stars, particularly while in motion, whereas the Milky Way is highly visible.”
In their experiments, the researchers used a camera mounted on a vehicle to capture images of the Milky Way both at rest and in motion. This data allowed them to create a computer vision system that can reliably measure the Milky Way’s orientation, marking a crucial step toward building a new navigation system.
Their findings were published in the journal *Biomimetics*.
Lead author UniSA PhD candidate Yiting Tao says the orientation sensor could be a backup method to stabilize satellites and help drones and robots to navigate in low light, even when there is a lot of blur caused by movement and vibration.
“For the next step I want to put the algorithm on a drone and allow it to control the aircraft in flight during the night,” Tao says.
During the day, insects like wasps, dragonflies, honeybees, and desert ants use the sun to navigate. At night, the moon serves as a guide for many nocturnal insects, but it’s not always visible. Dung beetles and some moths instead use the Milky Way for orientation.
Prof Chahl says insect vision has long inspired engineers where navigation systems are concerned.
“Insects have been solving navigational problems for millions of years, including those that even the most advanced machines struggle with. And they’ve done it in a tiny little package. Their brains consist of tens of thousands of neurons compared to billions of neurons in humans, yet they still manage to find solutions from the natural world.”
Computer vision techniques demonstrate robust orientation measurement of the Milky Way despite image motion
Research Report:Dung beetles guided by the Milky Way
Conclusion
The study demonstrates the potential of applying insect-inspired navigation techniques to artificial intelligence systems. The development of a sensor that accurately determines the orientation of the Milky Way in low-light conditions could have significant implications for drone, robot, and satellite navigation systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the study is to develop a sensor that accurately determines the orientation of the Milky Way in low-light conditions, which could enhance navigation systems in modern technology.
Question 2: How do dung beetles use the Milky Way for navigation?
Dung beetles use the Milky Way as a fixed orientation point in the night sky to help them steer in a straight line while moving dung balls across a field.
Question 3: What are the implications of this study?
The study demonstrates the potential of applying insect-inspired navigation techniques to artificial intelligence systems, which could have significant implications for drone, robot, and satellite navigation systems.
Question 4: How does the computer vision system work?
The computer vision system uses a camera mounted on a vehicle to capture images of the Milky Way both at rest and in motion, which allows it to create a reliable measurement of the Milky Way’s orientation.
Question 5: What are the next steps in the research?
The next step is to put the algorithm on a drone and allow it to control the aircraft in flight during the night, which would demonstrate the potential of the technology for real-world applications.
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