Vision-based flight control in the hawkmoth Hyles lineata

Vision is a key sensory modality for flying insects, playing an important role in guidance, navigation and control. Here, we use a virtual-reality flight simulator to measure the optomotor responses of the hawkmoth Hyles lineata, and use a published linear-time invariant model of the flight dynamics to interpret the function of the measured responses in flight stabilization and control. We recorded the forces and moments produced during oscillation of the visual field in roll, pitch and yaw, varying the temporal frequency, amplitude or spatial frequency of the stimulus. The moths’ responses were strongly dependent upon contrast frequency, as expected if the optomotor system uses correlation-type motion detectors to sense self-motion. The flight dynamics model predicts that roll angle feedback is needed to stabilize the lateral dynamics, and that a combination of pitch angle and pitch rate feedback is most effective in stabilizing the longitudinal dynamics. The moths’ responses to roll and pitch stimuli coincided qualitatively with these functional predictions. The moths produced coupled roll and yaw moments in response to yaw stimuli, which could help to reduce the energetic cost of correcting heading. Our results emphasize the close relationship between physics and physiology in the stabilization of insect flight.     

The new design of AGC circuit for the sinusoidal oscillator with wide oscillation frequency range

The typical automatic gain control (AGC) schemes are not suitable for the sinusoidal oscillator with wide oscillation frequency range. To solve this problem, the up-down counter, multiplying digital-to-analog converter, and high-speed comparators are employed to achieve the proposed AGC circuit, which corrects the complex roots of the overall system automatically to the imaginary axis of the complex frequency plane. The negative feedback technique with digital hardware is applied on the loop gain control. No low-pass filter is needed to detect the oscillation amplitude. Thus, this technique is suitable for the sinusoidal oscillator with wide oscillation frequency range. The oscillation frequencies ranging from 7 Hz to 1 MHz are tested with the proposed AGC circuit. The experimental results demonstrate the static characteristics and dynamic responses of the overall system.     

Origin of deficits in the flicker electroretinogram of the cone system in X-linked retinoschisis as derived from response nonlinearities

The aim of this study was to identify the origin of a high-frequency attenuation in the flicker electroretinogram (ERG) of patients with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) through an analysis of nonlinearities in the ERG response. The ERGs of six patients with XLRS and six age-similar control subjects were recorded in response to stimuli that consisted of pairs of sinusoids that had varying temporal frequencies and that differed by either 8 or 16 Hz. Compared with the control subjects, the patients with XLRS showed a significant reduction in the amplitude of the difference frequency to high-frequency stimuli that paralleled the high-frequency attenuation of their ERG response fundamental. This result indicates that a response attenuation at an initial linear filter, most likely photoreceptoral, was a major determinant of the reduced ERG amplitude of the XLRS patients at high temporal frequencies. Additional analyses of nonlinearities in the ERG responses provided evidence of a postreceptoral component to the flicker ERG deficits of the XLRS patients, as well.     

Non-contact measurement of surface oscillation due to Marangoni flow instability in a silicon liquid bridge by phase-shift interferometry

In order to investigate Marangoni flow instability of molten silicon, surface oscillation of a silicon liquid bridge with various aspect ratios at high Marangoni numbers, such as Ma ≥ 2400, was observed by using real-time phase-shift interferometry. By analyzing phase distribution of the phase-shift interferograms using FFT (fast Fourier transformation) and wavelet transformation, we found that two frequency bands exist in surface oscillation. Their central frequencies are 0.1–0.5 Hz for a lower band and 0.7–1.3 Hz for a higher band, respectively. Central frequency decreases with increase in aspect ratio. The lower frequency bands, which include m = 1 and m = 3 modes, appear continuously, whereas the higher frequency bands appear intermittently.     

Floquet stability analysis of the longitudinal dynamics of two hovering model insects

Because of the periodically varying aerodynamic and inertial forces of the flapping wings, a hovering or constant-speed flying insect is a cyclically forcing system, and, generally, the flight is not in a fixed-point equilibrium, but in a cyclic-motion equilibrium. Current stability theory of insect flight is based on the averaged model and treats the flight as a fixed-point equilibrium. In the present study, we treated the flight as a cyclic-motion equilibrium and used the Floquet theory to analyse the longitudinal stability of insect flight. Two hovering model insects were considered—a dronefly and a hawkmoth. The former had relatively high wingbeat frequency and small wing-mass to body-mass ratio, and hence very small amplitude of body oscillation; while the latter had relatively low wingbeat frequency and large wing-mass to body-mass ratio, and hence relatively large amplitude of body oscillation. For comparison, analysis using the averaged-model theory (fixed-point stability analysis) was also made. Results of both the cyclic-motion stability analysis and the fixed-point stability analysis were tested by numerical simulation using complete equations of motion coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations. The Floquet theory (cyclic-motion stability analysis) agreed well with the simulation for both the model dronefly and the model hawkmoth; but the averaged-model theory gave good results only for the dronefly. Thus, for an insect with relatively large body oscillation at wingbeat frequency, cyclic-motion stability analysis is required, and for their control analysis, the existing well-developed control theories for systems of fixed-point equilibrium are no longer applicable and new methods that take the cyclic variation of the flight dynamics into account are needed.     

Quantitative analysis of harmonic convergence in mosquito auditory interactions

This article analyses the hearing and behaviour of mosquitoes in the context of inter-individual acoustic interactions. The acoustic interactions of tethered live pairs of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, from same and opposite sex mosquitoes of the species, are recorded on independent and unique audio channels, together with the response of tethered individual mosquitoes to playbacks of pre-recorded flight tones of lone or paired individuals. A time-dependent representation of each mosquito''s non-stationary wing beat frequency signature is constructed, based on Hilbert spectral analysis. A range of algorithmic tools is developed to automatically analyse these data, and used to perform a robust quantitative identification of the ‘harmonic convergence’ phenomenon. The results suggest that harmonic convergence is an active phenomenon, which does not occur by chance. It occurs for live pairs, as well as for lone individuals responding to playback recordings, whether from the same or opposite sex. Male–female behaviour is dominated by frequency convergence at a wider range of harmonic combinations than previously reported, and requires participation from both partners in the duet. New evidence is found to show that male–male interactions are more varied than strict frequency avoidance. Rather, they can be divided into two groups: convergent pairs, typified by tightly bound wing beat frequencies, and divergent pairs, that remain widely spaced in the frequency domain. Overall, the results reveal that mosquito acoustic interaction is a delicate and intricate time-dependent active process that involves both individuals, takes place at many different frequencies, and which merits further enquiry.     

Numerical model of optical coherence tomographic vibrography imaging to estimate corneal biomechanical properties

Most techniques measuring corneal biomechanics in vivo are biased by side factors. We demonstrate the ability of optical coherence tomographic (OCT) vibrography to determine corneal material parameters, while reducing current prevalent restrictions of other techniques (such as intraocular pressure (IOP) and thickness dependency). Modal analysis was performed in a finite-element (FE) model to study the oscillation response in isolated thin corneal flaps/eye globes and to analyse the dependency of the frequency response function on: corneal elasticity, viscoelasticity, geometry (thickness and curvature), IOP and density. The model was verified experimentally in flaps from three bovine corneas and in two enucleated porcine eyes using sound excitation (100–110 dB) together with a phase-sensitive OCT to measure the frequency response function (range 50–510 Hz). Simulations showed that corneal vibration in flaps is sensitive to both, geometrical and biomechanical parameters, whereas in whole globes it is primarily sensitive to corneal biomechanical parameters only. Calculations based on the natural frequency shift revealed that flaps of the posterior cornea were 0.8 times less stiff than flaps from the anterior cornea and cross-linked corneas were 1.6 times stiffer than virgin corneas. Sensitivity analysis showed that natural vibration frequencies of whole globes were nearly independent from corneal thickness and IOP within the physiological range. OCT vibrography is a promising non-invasive technique to measure corneal elasticity without biases from corneal thickness and IOP.     

Computational study of flow past a cylinder with combined in-line and transverse oscillation

A computational study of the two dimensional flow past an oscillating cylinder is carried out using vorticity and stream function as the dependent variables. With the use of a log-polar coordinate transformation, the nondimensional vorticity transport equations in a non-inertial frame attached to the cylinder are solved using the ADI and SLOR finite difference schemes. The effects of combined in-line and transverse oscillation of the cylinder in the lock-in range of frequency on the time history of the drag and lift are investigated at a Reynolds number of 100. In addition, the influence of position amplitude of the cylinder's transverse oscillation on the lock-in range of frequency, mean drag, amplitude of drag and maximum lift is studied. The time histories of drag and lift forces in the case of combined oscillation are compared with the cases of the cylinder oscillating in the in-line and transverse directions separately. The dominant frequency components in the drag and the lift variations are determined using a Fourier frequency analysis.This research work was financially supported through a University of Windsor Postgraduate Scholarship and grants from the Natural sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Grant Numbers: A-2190 and A-1403).     

Span efficiency in hawkmoths

Flight in animals is the result of aerodynamic forces generated as flight muscles drive the wings through air. Aerial performance is therefore limited by the efficiency with which momentum is imparted to the air, a property that can be measured using modern techniques. We measured the induced flow fields around six hawkmoth species flying tethered in a wind tunnel to assess span efficiency, e_i, and from these measurements, determined the morphological and kinematic characters that predict efficient flight. The species were selected to represent a range in wingspan from 40 to 110 mm (2.75 times) and in mass from 0.2 to 1.5 g (7.5 times) but they were similar in their overall shape and their ecology. From high spatio-temporal resolution quantitative wake images, we extracted time-resolved downwash distributions behind the hawkmoths, calculating instantaneous values of e_i throughout the wingbeat cycle as well as multi-wingbeat averages. Span efficiency correlated positively with normalized lift and negatively with advance ratio. Average span efficiencies for the moths ranged from 0.31 to 0.60 showing that the standard generic value of 0.83 used in previous studies of animal flight is not a suitable approximation of aerodynamic performance in insects.     

多输入多输出正弦扫频试验控制新方法

研究了多输入多输出正弦扫频试验控制中信号发生、频响函数估计和控制算法等关键问题。针对步进式正弦扫频信号发生中因信号不连续而导致振动台或激振器发生冲击或损坏的问题,提出了两个不同频率的正弦信号平滑过渡的窗函数叠加延拓法,在满足扫频时间条件的同时也提高了试验控制精度;以单位正弦扫频信号作为激励,改变不同激励点的相位以产生满秩激励矩阵,运用相关积分法识别响应稳态正弦时域信号的幅值与相位,根据线性振动理论求解结构的频响函数;以多个控制点的幅值为控制对象,推导出扫频控制基本理论公式,通过参考值与反馈信号的比较来修正激励信号以满足试验条件。文末以一悬臂梁为研究对象,建立了两输入两输出正弦试验控制系统,结果表明本文提出的方法在扫频控制中取得良好的效果。     

Effect of core thickness on wave number and damping properties in sandwich composites

Due to their higher strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios compared to metals, fiber reinforced composite materials are a great alternative for use in many structural applications. However these properties lead to poor acoustic performance as composite materials are excellent noise radiators. This is particularly true for sandwich composite structures. Therefore the focus of this study is to investigate the effect of a core thickness change on the vibrational properties of Rohacell foam/carbon-fiber face sheet sandwich composite beams. Four different foam core thicknesses were explored, using a combination of experimental and analytical methods to characterize sound and vibrational properties of the sandwich beams. First, the wave number responses of the beams were obtained, from which coincidence frequencies were identified. Second, from the frequency response functions the structural damping loss factor, η, was determined using the half-power bandwidth method. Experimental and analytical results show that the relationship between core thickness and coincidence frequency is non-linear. A drastic increase in coincidence frequency was observed for the sandwich beam with the thinnest core thickness due to the low bending stiffness. Moreover this low bending stiffness results in low damping values, and consequently high wave number amplitude responses at low frequency ranges (<1000 Hz).     

Dynamic mechanical oscillations during metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly

The mechanical oscillation of the heart is fundamental during insect metamorphosis, but it is unclear how morphological changes affect its mechanical dynamics. Here, the micromechanical heartbeat with the monarch chrysalis (Danaus plexippus) during metamorphosis is compared with the structural changes observed through in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We employ a novel ultra-sensitive detection approach, optical beam deflection, in order to measure the microscale motions of the pupae during the course of metamorphosis. We observed very distinct mechanical contractions occurring at regular intervals, which we ascribe to the mechanical function of the heart organ. Motion was observed to occur in approximately 15 min bursts of activity with frequencies in the 0.4–1.0 Hz range separated by periods of quiescence during the first 83 per cent of development. In the final stages, the beating was found to be uninterrupted until the adult monarch butterfly emerged. Distinct stages of development were characterized by changes in frequency, amplitude, mechanical quality factor and de/repolarization times of the mechanical pulsing. The MRI revealed that the heart organ remains functionally intact throughout metamorphosis but undergoes morphological changes that are reflected in the mechanical oscillation.     

气动伺服弹性系统结构陷幅滤波器优化设计

为解决飞机气动伺服弹性耦合频率低且随飞机重量构型变化大,使用结构陷幅滤波器改善飞机气动伺服弹性稳定性易于影响飞机操稳特性的问题,建立了一种基于多目标遗传算法的结构陷幅滤波器优化设计方法。以气动伺服弹性系统的弹性模态频响峰值最小作为优化目标,刚体模态频响特性作为设计约束,通过设计罚函数修正个体适应度对陷幅滤波器的频率与阻尼参数进行优化。结果表明：该文方法能够兼顾飞机的气动伺服弹性与刚体运动特性,有利于充分利用高增益控制系统提升飞行性能。     

Turbulent Flow Around an Oscillating Body in Superfluid Helium: Dissipation Characteristics of the Nonlinear Regime

By examining the resonance curves of an oscillator submerged in superfluid liquid helium, it is found that their shape is affected by two distinct dissipation regimes when the amplitude is large enough to generate turbulence in the liquid. In a resonance curve, the central part close to resonance, may be in a turbulent regime, but the response is of much lower amplitude away from the resonance frequency, so that the oscillation can still be in the linear regime for frequencies not exactly at resonance. This introduces an ambiguity in estimating the inverse quality factor Q ^?1 of the oscillator. By analyzing experimental data we consider a way of matching the two ways of estimating Q ^?1 and use the information to evaluate the frictional force as a function of velocity in a silicon paddle oscillator generating turbulence in the superfluid.     

Nonlinear time-periodic models of the longitudinal flight dynamics of desert locusts Schistocerca gregaria.

Previous studies of insect flight control have been statistical in approach, simply correlating wing kinematics with body kinematics or force production. Kinematics and forces are linked by Newtonian mechanics, so adopting a dynamics-based approach is necessary if we are to place the study of insect flight on its proper physical footing. Here we develop semi-empirical models of the longitudinal flight dynamics of desert locusts Schistocerca gregaria. We use instantaneous force-moment measurements from individual locusts to parametrize the nonlinear rigid body equations of motion. Since the instantaneous forces are approximately periodic, we represent them using Fourier series, which are embedded in the equations of motion to give a nonlinear time-periodic (NLTP) model. This is a proper mathematical generalization of an earlier linear-time invariant (LTI) model of locust flight dynamics, developed using previously published time-averaged versions of the instantaneous force recordings. We perform various numerical simulations, within the fitted range of the model, and across the range of body angles used by free-flying locusts, to explore the likely behaviour of the locusts upon release from the tether. Solutions of the NLTP models are compared with solutions of the nonlinear time-invariant (NLTI) models to which they reduce when the periodic terms are dropped. Both sets of models are unstable and therefore fail to explain locust flight stability fully. Nevertheless, whereas the measured forces include statistically significant harmonic content up to about the eighth harmonic, the simulated flight trajectories display no harmonic content above the fundamental forcing frequency. Hence, manoeuvre control in locusts will not directly reflect subtle changes in the higher harmonics of the wing beat, but must operate on a coarser time-scale. A state-space analysis of the NLTP models reveals orbital trajectories that are impossible to capture in the LTI and NLTI models, and inspires the hypothesis that asymptotic orbital stability is the proper definition of stability in flapping flight. Manoeuvre control on the scale of more than one wing beat would then consist in exciting transients from one asymptotically stable orbit to another. We summarize these hypotheses by proposing a limit-cycle analogy for flapping flight control and suggest experiments for verification of the limit-cycle control analogy hypothesis.     

Vibrational effects on diffusion experiments

Main task of diffusion experiments in liquids is to avoid additional transport induced by convection. Even under microgravity conditions aboard a space vehicle, diffusion measurements can be disturbed. Additional transport due to residual accelerations and vibrations can only be analysed under low gravity conditions. For the 28th ESA Parabolic flight campaign (May 2000), modified for the 31st ESA Parabolic flight campaign (October 2001) and for the 34th ESA Parabolic flight campaign (April 2003), a model experiment using water as liquid was developed. Because of the short term of a parabola, the analogy between diffusive mass transport and the faster heat transport was used. The angle between the 4mm or 10mm thin capillary and the direction of acceleration ranged between 0° and 90°. For an oscillation amplitude of 100mm, the increase of the frequency up to 1 Hz led to a slight increase of the additional transport. Experiments with 1.7 Hz showed an additional transport of maximum 50%. An effect of the angle between the capillary and the acceleration vector was in the order of the error.     

直升机结构响应自适应控制的频域双LMS法

传统的频域结构响应自适应控制都是根据确定性最优准则求得控制量,这种方法计算量大,且对外扰敏感常常导致求得的电压有较大波动,尤其在控制开始时刻。本文提出对控制通道频响矩阵与外扰响应幅进行在线识别与最优控制量求取的双LMS法。对某型直升机空测数据与其控制通道频响函数实测数据进行仿真,结果表明改进方法在保证控制效果和识别结果与原方法基本不变的同时,不仅能大大降低计算量,减少调整参数,而且能有效地缓和控制量的波动,具有更好的鲁棒性。     

Effect of frequency on fatigue crack growth behavior of magnesium alloy AZ61 under immersed 3.5 mass% NaCl environment

Fatigue crack growth test of AZ61 magnesium alloy was carried out under immersed NaCl environment at frequencies of 15, 5 and 0.5 Hz under a stress ratio of 0.1. In order to investigate the effect of frequency on fatigue crack growth behavior in detail, additional tests at frequencies ranged from 15 to 0.01 Hz were conducted under a constant ΔK of 3.25 MPa m^1/2. Effect of frequency was clearly observed in low ΔK region, where fatigue crack growth rate decreased with decreasing frequency. Crack closure would be a dominant factor for the frequency effect observed under immersed NaCl environment at frequencies ranged from 15 to 0.5 Hz. However, fatigue crack growth rates at frequencies lower than 0.05 Hz were higher than those at frequencies higher than 0.5 Hz. The accelerated fatigue crack growth rates at frequencies lower than 0.05 Hz would be attributed to the corrosion attack at the crack tip.     

Experimental study on time evolution of Marangoni flow instability in molten silicon bridge

Temperature oscillations due to Marangoni flow instability in molten silicon half zone bridges with various aspect ratios of As = 0.5–2.0 were measured using six thermocouples set azimuthally 60^° apart in the liquid bridge close to the cold rod. The Marangoni number was estimated to range from 3000 to 14000, based on the measured axial temperature difference. Fourier spectra of the temperature oscillations were broad and continuous; each peak was not clearly distinguished but rather appeared as a frequency band. Thus, the convection was estimated to be turbulent-like. The time evolution of the azimuthal wave number was observed by analyzing the time-dependence of the phase relationship of the temperature oscillation detected by the six thermocouples. Analyzing the mode appearance coefficient MAC as a function of the aspect ratio, the relationship between the azimuthal mode number m and the aspect ratio As was observed to be m ? As ≈ 2.4; the basic structure of flow instability is sustained even under high Marangoni number. The temperature oscillation data was decomposed into that for each frequency band by using wavelet analysis. The frequencies for the m = 1 and m = 3 modes were estimated to be 0.08 to 0.2 Hz and 0.01 to 0.2 Hz, respectively.