A new
mathematical model for earthworms and insect larvae challenges the traditional
view of how these soft bodied animals get around was proposed by researchers at
Harvard University. Researchers say that there is a far greater role for the
body's mechanical properties and the local nerves which react to the surface
that the animal is travelling across. The most widely accepted model is that of
the central pattern generator (CPG) which states that the central brain of
these creatures generates rhythmic contraction and extension waves along the
body. However, this doesn't account for
the fact that some of these invertebrates can move along even when their
ventral nerve cord is cut.
They hypothesised
that there is a far greater role for the body's mechanical properties and the
local nerves which react to the surface that the animal is travelling across.
They created a mathematical and computational theory to understand this and
then tested these theories under different circumstances and conditions and
using imagined worms of different masses. They now believe that this new model
could be of use in robotics. Replicating the movement of animals in robots is
very difficult and often involves the use of many sensors. This new model could
be used to improve robots used for entering confined spaces or which have to
deal with difficult terrain.
More
information: