Abstract
Simple organisms like bacteria are directly influenced by momentary changes in concentration or strength of sensory signals. In noisy sensory gradients frequent zigzagging reduces the performance of the cell or organism. Drosophila melanogaster flies significantly deviate from a direct response to sensory input when orienting in gradients. A dynamical model has been derived which reproduces fly behaviour. Here we report on an emergent property of the model. Implemented in a robot, the algorithm is sustaining decisions between visual targets. The behaviour was consequently found in wild-type flies, which stay with a once-chosen visual target for considerable longer times than mutant flies with a specific brain defect. This allowed the localisation of the integrator. Flies were tested in a virtual-reality arena with two alternatingly visible target objects under different visibility regimes. The finding exemplifies how basic research and technical application can mutually benefit from close collaboration.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Zaepf, B., Regenauer, C., Strauss, R.: The fruit flies’ basic strategies of humidity-orientation and a new challenge for mushroom bodies. Neuroforum XVII, Suppl. T25-15C (2011)
Berg, C., Villacorta, J.A., Makarov, V., Velarde, M.G., Arena, P., Patané, L., Termini, P.S., Strauss, R.: An advanced orientation strategy in fruit flies and its consequences in visual targeting and temperature orientation. Neuroforum XVII, Suppl. T25-12B (2011)
Strauss, R., Pichler, J.: Persistence of orientation toward a temporarily invisible landmark in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Comp. Physiol. A 182, 411–423 (1998)
Castellanos, N.P., Lombardo, D., Makarov, V.A., Velarde, M.G., Arena, P.: Quimiotaxis, infotaxis y memotaxis: estrategias de exploración y supervivencia. Rev. Esp. Fisica 22, 42–46 (2008) ISSN 0213-862X
Makarov, V.A., Song, Y., Velarde, M.G., Hubner, D., Cruse, H.: Elements for a general memory structure: Properties of recurrent neural networks used to form situation models. Biol. Cybern. 98, 371–395 (2008)
Arena, P., De Fiore, S., Fortuna, L., Patané, L.: Perception-action map learning in controlled multiscroll systems applied to robot navigation. Chaos 18, 1–16 (2008)
Thran, J., Poeck, B., Strauss, R.: Serum Response Factor (SRF) mediated gene regulation in a Drosophila visual working memory. Curr. Biol. 23, 1756–1763 (2013)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Strauss, R. et al. (2014). Roving Robots Gain from an Orientation Algorithm of Fruit Flies and Predict a Fly Decision-Making Algorithm. In: Duff, A., Lepora, N.F., Mura, A., Prescott, T.J., Verschure, P.F.M.J. (eds) Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 8608. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09435-9_53
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09435-9_53
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09434-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09435-9
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)