The ability of animals to flexibly navigate through complex environments depends on the
integration of sensory information with motor commands. The sensory modality most tightly …

Outside laboratory conditions and human-made structures, animals rarely encounter flat
surfaces. Instead, natural substrates are uneven surfaces with height variation that ranges …

We discovered a bimodal behavior in the genetically tractable organism Drosophila
melanogaster that allowed us to directly probe the neural mechanisms of an action selection …

Developing small mobile robots for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is a major challenge
due to constraints in size and power required to perform vital functions such as obstacle …

Jointed exoskeletons permit rapid appendage-driven locomotion but retain the soft-bodied,
shape-changing ability to explore confined environments. We challenged cockroaches with …

To navigate in the world, an animal's brain must produce commands to move, change
direction, and negotiate obstacles. In the insect brain, the central complex integrates multiple …

Recent advances in neural engineering have enabled direct control of insect locomotion
through neural and muscular stimulation. The resulting insect biobots, with a natural ability …

Many animals, modern aircraft, and underwater vehicles use fusiform, streamlined body
shapes that reduce fluid dynamic drag to achieve fast and effective locomotion in air and …

Animals negotiating complex natural terrain must consider cues around them and alter
movement parameters accordingly [1, 2]. In the arthropod brain, the central complex (CC) …

One of the most important decisions animals have to make is how to respond to an attack
from a potential predator. The response must be prompt and appropriate to ensure survival …