概要

昆虫机的混合动力系统:一个自由飞翔的甲壳虫无线电远程控制(<em> Mercynorrhina torquata</em>)

Published: September 02, 2016
doi:

概要

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

启用无线电数字电子设备的兴起,促使利用小型无线神经肌肉录像机和刺激为研究飞行昆虫的行为。借助该技术使用本协议中所述活虫平台昆虫机混合动力系统的开发。此外,该协议提出的系统结构和用于在不受限制的昆虫评估飞行肌的功能自由飞行的实验程序。为了演示,我们有针对性的第三腋骨片(3AX)肌肉来控制和实现飞行甲虫向左或向右转向。薄银线电极植入上的甲虫两侧的肌肉3AX。这些被连接到一个无线背包的输出( 神经肌肉电刺激器)装上甲虫的前胸。肌肉是由交替的刺激侧(左或右),或者改变stimulatio在自由飞行刺激N频点。甲虫转向同侧当肌肉受到刺激并展出,以增加频率的召。植入过程和三维运动捕获相机系统的体积校准需要小心进行,以避免损坏肌肉和丢失标记的轨道,分别。该方法是非常有益的,研究昆虫飞行,因为它有助于揭示感兴趣的飞行肌的功能在自由飞行。

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.动物研究后个人Mecynorrhina torquata甲虫英寸(6厘米,将8g)在单独的塑料容器木质颗粒床上用品。 每次喂糖甲虫果冻(12毫升)每3天杯。 保持饲养室的温度和湿度在25℃和60%,分别为。 植入细线电极之前测试每个甲虫的飞行能力。 轻轻扔甲虫到空气中。如果甲虫能飞的时间超过10秒,连续5个试验,得出这样的结论甲虫拥有定期航班的能力和使用它为后续飞行?…

Representative Results

电极植入手术方式如图2薄银线电极植入通过刺穿上的肌肉( 图2d – E)软角质层小孔甲虫的肌肉3AX。此软角质层刚好在basalar肌肉的apodema上面除去metepisternum的前部后( 图2d – 三 )。然后在电极用蜂蜡( 图2F)固定。 图3示出了使用一个完?…

Discussion

植入过程是重要的,因为它影响了实验的可靠性。电极应在3毫米或取决于甲虫(避免与附近的肌肉接触)的大小更小的深度插入到肌肉。如果电极触摸附近的肌肉,可能由于附近的肌肉的收缩发生不期望的马达动作和行为。两个电极应该很好对齐,以确保不会发生短路。当熔融和使用烙铁回流蜂蜡,该实验者有要小心和焊料尽快,由于肌肉可以通过用高温下长时间接触被燃烧,导致肌肉的故障。…

開示

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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記事を引用
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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