Finite element analysis of strains in a Blaberus cockroach leg during climbing

The legs of animals and walking vehicles are subject to substantial changes in loading in climbing over obstacles. Sense organs (campaniform sensilla) on cockroach legs detect these loads through strains in the exoskeleton. Signals that might be sent by the sense organs during climbing were predicted by applying forces to a finite element model of the leg in directions determined from kinematic studies. The model included an accurate, three-dimensional reconstruction of the leg segment (trochanter) that contains an array of these sensors. Calculated strains generated at different phases of climbing suggest that some groups of sensors in the front leg, that show little activity in walking, are strongly activated in climbing. These groups could provide signals to aid in adapting walking patterns to the changing forces encountered in climbing.

[1]  T. Weis-Fogh,et al.  Biology and physics of locust flight. V. Strength and elasticity of locust cuticle , 1962, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences.

[2]  U. Bässler,et al.  Anatomy and physiology of trochanteral campaniform sensilla in the stick insect, Cuniculina impigra , 1982 .

[3]  G. Laurent,et al.  THE ORGANIZATION AND ROLE DURING LOCOMOTION OF THE PROXIMAL MUSCULATURE OF THE CRICKET FORELEG , 1986 .

[4]  R. Blickhan,et al.  Leg design in hexapedal runners. , 1991, The Journal of experimental biology.

[5]  J. Schmitz LOAD-COMPENSATING REACTIONS IN THE PROXIMAL LEG JOINTS OF STICK INSECTS DURING STANDING AND WALKING , 1993 .

[6]  S. Zill,et al.  Exoskeletal sensors for walking , 1996 .

[7]  Mark E. Nelson,et al.  Sense Organs of Insect Legs and the Selection of Sensors for Agile Walking Robots , 1996, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[8]  S. Zill,et al.  Load signalling by cockroach trochanteral campaniform sensilla , 1999, Brain Research.

[9]  A K Tryba,et al.  Multi-joint coordination during walking and foothold searching in the Blaberus cockroach. I. Kinematics and electromyograms. , 2000, Journal of neurophysiology.

[10]  Jeffrey B. Thuma,et al.  Three‐dimensional graphic reconstruction of the insect exoskeleton through confocal imaging of endogenous fluorescence , 2000, Microscopy research and technique.

[11]  S. Zill,et al.  Encoding of forces by cockroach tibial campaniform sensilla: implications in dynamic control of posture and locomotion , 2000, Journal of Comparative Physiology A.