Summary

מערכת היברידית חרקים-מכונה: רדיו שליטה מרחוק של חיפושית עפה חופשי (<em> Mercynorrhina torquata</em>)

Published: September 02, 2016
doi:

Summary

This protocol describes the process of constructing an insect-machine hybrid system and carrying out wireless electrical stimulation of the flight muscles required to control the turning motion of a flying insect.

Abstract

עלייתו של מכשירים אלקטרוניים דיגיטליים מאופשרת רדיו עוררה את השימוש מקליט לגירוי תוקפת אלחוטיים קטנים ללימוד התנהגות חרקים בזמן הטיסה. טכנולוגיה זו מאפשרת בניית מערכת היברידית חרק-אוטומטית באמצעות פלטפורמת חרק חייה המתוארת בפרוטוקול זה. יתר על כן, פרוטוקול זה מציג את תצורת מערכת פרוצדורות טיסה חינם להערכת התפקוד של שרירי התעופה ב חרק ומשוחרר. להדגמה, אנו ממוקדים sclerite השחי השלישיים (3Ax) השרירים לשלוט ולהשיג מפנה שמאלה או ימינה של חיפושית עפה. אלקטרודה חוט כסף דקה הושתלה על שריר 3Ax בכל צד של החיפושית. אלה חוברו התפוקות של תרמיל אלחוטי (כלומר, ממריץ חשמל תוקפת) רכוב על pronotum של החיפושית. השריר היה מגורה בטיסה חינם לסירוגין בצד גירוי (ימין או שמאל) או גיוון stimulatioתדירות n. החיפושית פנתה אל צד ipsilateral כאשר השריר היה מגורה והציג תגובה מדורגת אל בתדירות הולכת וגוברת. תהליך ההשתלה וכיול נפח של 3 מערכת המצלמה ללכוד תנועה ממדי צריך להתבצע בזהירות כדי למנוע נזק לשריר לאבד המסלול של הסמן, בהתאמה. שיטה זו היא מאוד מועילה ללמוד טיסת חרקים, כפי שהוא מסייע לחשוף את הפונקציות של שריר הטיסה של עניין טיסה חינם.

Introduction

An insect-machine hybrid system, often referred to as a cyborg insect or biobot, is the fusion of a living insect platform with a miniature mounted electronic device. The electronic device, which is wirelessly commanded by a remote user, outputs an electrical signal to electrically stimulate neuromuscular sites in the insect via implanted wire electrodes to induce user desired motor actions and behaviors. In the early stages of this research field, researchers were limited to conducting wireless recording of the muscular action of an insect, using simple analog circuits comprised of surface-mounted components1-3. The development of system-on-a-chip technology with radio frequency functionality enabled not only the wireless recording of neuromuscular signals but also the electrical stimulation of the neuromuscular sites in living insects. At present, a built-in radio microcontroller is small enough to be mounted on living insects without causing any obstructions to their locomotion4-13.

The development of the built-in radio microcontroller allows researchers to determine electrical stimulation protocols to induce desired motor actions to control the locomotion of the insect of interest. On the ground, researchers have demonstrated walking control by stimulating the neuromuscular sites of cockroaches4,12,14, spiders15, and beetles16,17. In the air, the initiation and cessation of flight were achieved using different methods such as the stimulation of the optic lobes (the massive neural cluster of a compound eye) in beetles7,9 and brain sub-regions in bees18, whereas turning control has been demonstrated by stimulating the antennae muscles and nervous system of the abdomens in moths11,19 and the flight muscles of beetles7,9,13. In most cases, a built-in radio microcontroller was integrated on a custom-designed printed circuit board to produce a miniature wireless stimulator (backpack), which was mounted on the insect of interest. This allows wireless electrical stimulation to be applied to a freely walking or flying insect. Such a microcontroller-mounted insect is what is referred to as an insect-machine hybrid system.

This study describes the experimental protocols for building an insect-machine hybrid system, wherein a living beetle is employed as the insect platform, and instructs on how to operate the robot and test its flight control systems. The third axillary sclerite (3Ax) muscle was chosen as the muscle of interest for electrical stimulation and demonstration of left or right turning control13. A pair of thin silver wire electrodes was implanted in both the left and right 3Ax muscles. Moreover, a backpack was mounted on the living beetle. The other ends of the wire electrode were connected to the output pins of the microcontroller. The backpack was small enough for the beetle to carry in flight. Thus, this allows an experimentalist to remotely stimulate the muscle of interest of an insect in free flight and investigate its reactions to the stimulations.

Protocol

1. מחקר בבעלי חיים חיפושיות אחוריות יחיד Mecynorrhina torquata (6 סנטימטר, 8 גרם) במכלי פלסטיק נפרדים עם מצעים גלולים עץ. להאכיל אחד את החיפושית כוס ג'לי סוכר (12 מ"ל) כל 3 ימים. <li style=";text-align:right;direction:r…

Representative Results

הליך השתלת אלקטרודה מוצג באיור 2 אלקטרודות חוט כסף דק הושתלו לתוך שריר 3Ax של החיפושית דרך חורים קטנים פירסינג על לציפורן הרכה על שריר (איורי 2 ד – ה).. לציפורן רך זה נמצא בדיוק מעל apodema של שריר basalar לאחר הסרת החלק הקדמי של metepister…

Discussion

תהליך ההשתלה הוא חשוב, מאחר שהוא משפיע על מהימנותם של הניסוי. האלקטרודות צריך להיות מוכנס לתוך השריר בעומק של 3 מ"מ או פחות, תלוי בגודל של החיפושית (הימנעות ממגע עם שרירים באזור). אם אלקטרודות לגעת שרירים הסמוכים, פעולות מוטוריות רצויות והתנהגויות עלולות להתרחש בשל ?…

Offenlegungen

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements

This material is based on the works supported by Nanyang Assistant Professorship (NAP, M4080740), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Public Sector Research Funding (PSF, M4070190), A*STAR-JST (The Japan Science and Technology Agency) joint grant (M4070198), and Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE2013-T2-2-049). The authors would like to thank Mr. Roger Tan Kay Chia, Prof. Low Kin Huat, Mr. Poon Kee Chun, Mr. Chew Hock See, Mr. Lam Kim Kheong and Dr. Mao Shixin at School of MAE for their support in setting up and maintaining the research facilities. The authors thank Prof. Michel Maharbiz (U.C. Berkeley) his advice and discussion, Prof. Kris Pister and his group (U.C. Berkeley) for their support in providing the GINA used in this study.

Materials

Mecynorrhina torquata beetle Kingdom of Beetle Taiwan 10 g, 8 cm, pay load capacity is 30% of the body mass
Aproval of importing and using by Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA; HS code: 01069000, product code: ALV002).
Wireless backpack stimulator Custom TI CC2431 micocontroler
The board is custom made based on the GINA board from Prof. Kris Pister’s lab. The layout of GINA board can be found at    https://openwsn.atlassian.net/wiki/display/OW/GINA
Wii Remote control Nintendo Bluetooth remote control to send the command to the operator laptop
BeetleCommander v1.8 Custom. Maharbiz group at UC Berkeley and Sato group at NTU Establish the wireless communication of the backpack and the operator laptop. Configure the stimulus parameters and log the positional data. Visualize the flight data.
GINA base station Kris Pister group at UC Berkeley TI MSP430F2618 and AT86RF231
Motion capture system VICON T160 8 cameras for a flight arena of 12.5 x 8 x 4 m
Motion capture system VICON T40s 12 cameras for a flight arena of 12.5 x 8 x 4 m
Micro battery Fullriver  201013HS10C  3.7V, 10 mAh
Retro reflective tape Reflexite V92-1549-010150 V92 reflective tape, silver color
PFA-Insulated Silver Wire  A-M systems 786000 127 µm bare, 177.8 µm coated, 3 mm bare silver flame exposed at tips
SMT Micro Header  SAMTEC FTSH-110-01-L-DV 0.3 x 6 mm, bend to make a 3 mm long slider to secure the electrode into the PCB header.
Beeswax Secure the electrodes
Dental Wax Vertex Immobilize the beetle
Insect pin ROBOZ RS-6082-30 Size  00; 0.3mm Rod diameter; 0.03 mm tip width; 38 mm Length 
Make electrode guiding holes on cuticle
Tweezers DUMONT RS-5015 Pattern #5; .05 X .01mm Tip Size; 110mm Length
Dissecting and implantation
Scissors ROBOZ RS-5620 Vannas Micro Dissecting Spring Scissors; Straight; 3mm Cutting Edge; 0.1mm Tip Width; 3" Overall Length 
Dissecting and implantation
Potable soldering iron DAIYO DS241 Reflow beeswax
Hotplate  CORNING PC-400D Melting beeswax and dental wax
Flourescent lamp Philips TL5 14W Light the entire flight arena with 30 panels (60 x 60 cm2). Each panel has 3 lamps.
14 W, 549 mm x 17 mm 

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Vo Doan, T. T., Sato, H. Insect-machine Hybrid System: Remote Radio Control of a Freely Flying Beetle (Mercynorrhina torquata). J. Vis. Exp. (115), e54260, doi:10.3791/54260 (2016).

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