Escape Maneuvers Research Articles

Inertial coupling of the hummingbird body in the flight mechanics of an escape manoeuvre

When a hovering hummingbird performs a rapid escape manoeuvre in response to a perceived threat from the front side, its body may go through simultaneous pitch, yaw and roll rotations. In this study, we examined the inertial coupling of the three-axis body rotations and its effect on the flight mechanics of the manoeuvre using analyses of high-speed videos as well as high-fidelity computational modelling of the aerodynamics and inertial forces. We found that while a bird’s pitch-up was occurring, inertial coupling between yaw and roll helped slow down and terminate the pitch, thus serving as a passive control mechanism for the manoeuvre. Furthermore, an inertial coupling between pitch-up and roll can help accelerate yaw before the roll–yaw coupling. Different from the aerodynamic mechanisms that aircraft and animal flyers typically rely on for flight control, we hypothesize that inertial coupling is a built-in mechanism in the flight mechanics of hummingbirds that helps them achieve superb aerial agility.

Springing into action: Comparing escape responses between bipedal and quadrupedal rodents.

Predation is a fundamental selective pressure on animal morphology, as morphology is directly linked with physical performance and evasion. Bipedal heteromyid rodents, which are characterized by unique morphological traits such as enlarged hindlimbs, appear to be more successful than sympatric quadrupedal rodents at escaping predators such as snakes and owls, but no studies have directly compared the escape performance of bipedal and quadrupedal rodents. We used simulated predator attacks to compare the evasive jumping ability of bipedal kangaroo rats (Dipodomys) to that of three quadrupedal rodent groups-pocket mice (Chaetodipus), woodrats (Neotoma), and ground squirrels (Otospermophilus). Jumping performance of pocket mice was remarkably similar to that of kangaroo rats, which may be driven by their shared anatomical features (such as enlarged hindlimb muscles) and facilitated by their relatively small body size. Woodrats and ground squirrels, in contrast, almost never jumped as a startle response, and they took longer to perform evasive escape maneuvers than the heteromyid species (kangaroo rats and pocket mice). Among the heteromyids, take-off velocity was the only jump performance metric that differed significantly between species. These results support the idea that bipedal body plans facilitate vertical leaping in larger-bodied rodents as a means of predator escape and that vertical leaping likely translates to better evasion success.

Mosquitoes escape looming threats by actively flying with the bow wave induced by the attacker

To detect and escape looming threats, night-flying insects must rely on other senses than vision alone. Nocturnal mosquitoes can evade looming objects in the dark, but how they achieve this is still unknown. Here, we show how night-active female malaria mosquitoes escape from rapidly looming objects that simulate defensive actions of blood-hosts. First, we quantified the escape performance of flying mosquitoes from an event-triggered mechanical swatter, showing that mosquitoes use swatter-induced airflow to increase their escape success. Secondly, we used high-speed videography and deep-learning-based tracking to analyze escape flights in detail, showing that mosquitoes use banked turns to evade the threat. By combining escape kinematics data with numerical simulations of attacker-induced airflow and a mechanistic movement model, we unraveled how mosquitoes control these banked evasive maneuvers: they actively steer away from the danger, and then passively travel with the bow wave produced by the attacker. Our results demonstrate that night-flying mosquitoes can detect looming objects when visual cues are minimal, suggesting that they use attacker-induced airflow both to detect the danger and as a fluid medium to move with away from the threat. This shows that escape strategies of flying insects are more complex than previous visually induced escape flight studies suggest. As most insects are of similar or smaller sizes than mosquitoes, comparable escape strategies are expected among millions of flying insect species. The here-observed escape maneuvers are distinct from those of mosquitoes escaping from odor-baited traps, thus providing new insights for the development of novel trapping techniques for integrative vector management.

Model Predictive Control based Coordinated Control for Free-Flying Space Manipulator Systems

Space Manipulator Systems (SMS) used in On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) missions are over-actuated, and safety critical systems that perform complex tasks in space. We propose a coordinated control for a free-flying SMS, which is based on a cascaded output tracking nonlinear model predictive control, to simultaneously control the spacecraft-base and manipulator of the SMS. The output tracks a given end-effector pose trajectory, and by using an artificial reference the controller stays feasible even for an unreachable trajectory. Moreover, the systems over-actuation is optimally resolved, such that the base of the SMS can be utilized to generate an unrestricted workspace for robotic operations. Throughout the entire mission, critical constraints related to system and safety, including collision avoidance, field of view of sensor devices, joint limitations, and actuator saturations, are integrated as hard constraints. Simulations of the most challenging mission phases, such as the approach and detumbling of a target spacecraft, as well as an escape maneuver verify the performance, reliability, and flexibility of our coordinated control concept.

Active wing-pitching mechanism in hummingbird escape maneuvers

Previous studies suggested that wing pitching, i.e. the wing rotation around its long axis, of insects and hummingbirds is primarily driven by an inertial effect associated with stroke deceleration and acceleration of the wings and is thus passive. Here we considered the rapid escape maneuver of hummingbirds who were initially hovering but then startled by the frontal approach of a looming object. During the maneuver, the hummingbirds substantially changed their wingbeat frequency, wing trajectory, and other kinematic parameters. Using wing kinematics reconstructed from high-speed videos and computational fluid dynamics modeling, we found that although the same inertial effect drove the wing flipping at stroke reversal as in hovering, significant power input was required to pitch up the wings during downstroke to enhance aerodynamic force production; furthermore, the net power input could be positive for wing pitching in a complete wingbeat cycle. Therefore, our study suggests that an active mechanism was present during the maneuver to drive wing pitching. In addition to the powered pitching, wing deviation during upstroke required twice as much power as hovering to move the wings caudally when the birds redirected the aerodynamic force vector for escaping. These findings were consistent with our hypothesis that enhanced muscle recruitment is essential for hummingbirds’ escape maneuvers.

Rapid manoeuvre of fan worms (Annelida: Sabellidae) through tubes.

Multiple variables determine the success of an escape response of an animal, and the rapidity of the escape manoeuvre is often the most important. Fan worms (Annelida: Sabellidae) can rapidly withdraw their tentacles, which are covered in heavily ciliated ramifications called pinnules, into their tubes to protect them from approaching threats. Here, we explore the dynamic and mechanistic features behind this escape manoeuvre. The escape responses of fan worms were recorded by high-speed videography and quantified by computerized motion analysis, showing an ultrahigh retraction speed of 272±135 mm s-1 (8±4 body lengthss-1). We found that fan worms possess powerful muscle-driven systems, which can generate contractive forces up to 36 times their body weight. In order to achieve these rapid, forceful movements through seawater without damaging their tentacles, fan worms have developed functional morphological adaptations to reduce fluidic drag, including the flattening of their radiolar pinnules and the deformation of bodily segmental ridges. Our hydrodynamic models indicate that these mechanical processes can decrease fluidic drag by 47%, trapped mass by 75% and friction coefficient by 89%. These strategies allow fan worms to execute rapid escape responses and could inspire the design of fast in-pipe robots.

Hydrodynamics of the fast-start caridoid escape response in Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba

Krill are shrimp-like crustaceans with a high degree of mobility and variety of documented swimming behaviors. The caridoid escape response, a fast-start mechanism unique to crustaceans, occurs when the animal performs a series of rapid abdominal flexions and tail flipping that results in powerful backward strokes. The current results quantify the animal kinematics and three-dimensional flow field around a free-swimming Euphausia superba as it performs the caridoid escape maneuver. The specimen performs a single abdominal flexion-tail flip combination that leads to an acceleration over a 42 ms interval allowing it to reach a maximum speed of 57.0 cm/s (17.3 body lengths/s). The krill’s tail flipping during the abdominal closure is a significant contributor to the thrust generation during the maneuver. The krill sheds a complex chain of vortex rings in its wake due to the viscous flow effects while the organism accelerates. The vortex ring structure reveals a strong suction flow in the wake, which suggests that the pressure distribution and form drag play a role in the force balance for this maneuver. Antarctic krill typically swim in a low to intermediate Reynolds number (Re) regime where viscous forces are significant, but as shown by this analysis, its high maneuverability allows it to quickly change its body angle and swimming speed.

Optimal delta-V-based strategies in orbital pursuit-evasion games

This research investigates the orbital pursuit-evasion games with impulsive maneuvers in long-distance interception scenarios. Specifically, this paper examines the influences of escape impulses, with different directions, applied by the evader on the intercept-correction delta-v (ΔVCorr) of the pursuer that is already on an interception orbit. After obtaining the evader’s strategies based on maximizing the ΔVCorr under different circumstances, it is found that, with the knowledge of the evader’s best strategy, the pursuer could make ΔVCorr smaller by adjusting its initial interception orbit. Then, a method to modify the initial orbit with energy constraints is designed so that the pursuer can match the evader’s escape maneuver with less delta-v to prepare. Finally, this paper summarizes the best strategies of both sides after considering the initial trajectory adjustment and discusses the impact of incomplete information on tactics in orbital pursuit-evasion games.

Formation of multicellular colonies by choanoflagellates increases susceptibility to capture by amoeboid predators.

Many heterotrophic microbial eukaryotes are size-selective feeders. Some microorganisms increase their size by forming multicellular colonies. We used choanoflagellates, Salpingoeca helianthica, which can be unicellular or form multicellular colonies, to study the effects of multicellularity on vulnerability to predation by the raptorial protozoan predator, Amoeba proteus, which captures prey with pseudopodia. Videomicrography used to measure the behavior of interacting S. helianthica and A. proteus revealed that large choanoflagellate colonies were more susceptible to capture than were small colonies or single cells. Swimming colonies produced larger flow fields than did swimming unicellular choanoflagellates, and the distance of S. helianthica from A. proteus when pseudopod formation started was greater for colonies than for single cells. Prey size did not affect the number of pseudopodia formed and the time between their formation, pulsatile kinematics and speed of extension by pseudopodia, or percent of prey lost by the predator. S. helianthica did not change swimming speed or execute escape maneuvers in response to being pursued by pseudopodia, so size-selective feeding by A. proteus was due to predator behavior rather than prey escape. Our results do not support the theory that the selective advantage of becoming multicellular by choanoflagellate-like ancestors of animals was reduced susceptibility to protozoan predation.

Optimal Cooperative Guidance Strategies for Aircraft Defense with Impact Angle Constraints

Given the limitations of escape maneuvers and decoy deployment of combat aircraft under missile attacks; active defense dramatically improves the survival chances by launching active defense missiles to intercept incoming missiles. Different from previous work, this paper implemented impact angle constraints on the defense missile to achieve a better defense effect. The low-cost active defense missile with limited maneuverability is considered to cooperate with the aircraft through three mechanisms, namely two-way cooperation without any predetermined strategy, one-way cooperation with the defense missile employing a linear guidance strategy, and one-way cooperation with independent evasion maneuver for the target. Three optimal cooperative guidance strategies with impact angle constraints were investigated. Finally, a nonlinear two-dimensional model for agents with first-order autopilot dynamics was simulated to verify the performance of the proposed strategies. The simulation results indicated that the cooperative mechanism directly affects the available range of impact angles, and the constraints of a big impact angle can be realized by introducing the nonlinear model parameters and considering the angle variation between the velocity vector and the initial line-of-sight. Furthermore, the two-way cooperative mechanism achieves the best performance and more flexible solutions to accommodate different vehicle maximum overload limits.

Sustainable pest control inspired by prey–predator ultrasound interactions

Nocturnal moths evolved ultrasound-triggered escape maneuvers for avoiding predatory bats emitting ultrasonic echolocation calls. Using ultrasound for pest control is not a novel concept, but the technique has not been systemized because of the moths' habituation to sounds and the narrow directionality of conventional ultrasound speakers. Here, we report the use of pulsed ultrasonic white noise, which contributes to achieving ecologically concordant plant protection. An ultrasonic pulse, which is temporal mimicry of the search-phase pulse in the echolocation calls of a sympatric bat, was identified using neuroethological screening of eared moth-repelling ultrasounds; these pulses elicit flight-stopping reactions in moths but have no or little auditory adaptation. Such repellent ultrasounds broadcast from the cylindrical omni-azimuth ultrasound emitters suppressed the intrusion of gravid females of pest moths into cultivation fields. Thus, egg numbers and plant damage by hatched larvae were drastically reduced, enabling farmers to substantially skip applications of chemical insecticides for controlling moth pests.

Safe Maneuvering Near Offshore Installations: A New Algorithmic Tool

Maneuvers of human-operated and autonomous marine vessels in the safety zone of drilling rigs, wind farms and other installations present a risk of collision. This article proposes an algorithmic toolkit that ensures maneuver safety, taking into account the restrictions imposed by ship dynamics. The algorithms can be used for anomaly detection, decision making by a human operator or an unmanned vehicle guidance system. We also consider a response to failures in the vessel’s control systems and emergency escape maneuvers. Data used by the algorithms come from the vessel’s dynamic positioning control system and positional survey charts of the marine installations.

Multiple mechanisms mediate the suppression of motion vision during escape maneuvers in flying Drosophila

SummaryDuring voluntary behaviors, animals need to disable any reflexes that could interfere with the intended movements. With the optomotor response, flies stabilize a straight flight path by correcting for unintended deviations sensed as the panoramic motion of the surround. HS cells of the fly are thought to mediate optomotor responses to horizontal motion. During spontaneous flight turns, an efference copy acts on HS cells with the right sign to counteract the visual input elicited by the fly’s own behavior. Here, we investigated, whether looming-elicited turns in flying Drosophila have a similar effect on HS cells. We show that looming stimuli themselves can influence the processing of panoramic motion stimuli in HS cells and that an inhibitory efference copy suppresses excitatory motion responses during turns in both directions, but only in a subset of HS cells. Our findings support the notion that the processing of sensory information is finely tuned to behavioral context.

Optimal Escape from Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon L2 with Electric Propulsion

Optimal low-thrust trajectories for the direct escape from the Earth’s sphere of influence, starting from Sun-Earth or Earth-Moon L2, are analyzed with an indirect optimization method. The dynamic model considers four-body gravitation and JPL ephemeris; solar radiation pressure is also considered. Specific techniques and improvements to the method are introduced to tackle the highly chaotic and nonlinear dynamics of motion close to Lagrangian points, which challenges the remarkable precision of the indirect method. The results show that escape trajectories have optimal performance when the solar perturbation acts favorably in both thrust and coast phases. The effects of the solar and Moon perturbations are more evident in the Earth-Moon L2 escapes compared with those from the Sun-Earth L2. EML2 escapes have single- or two-burn solutions depending on the trajectory deflection, which is needed to have a favorable solar perturbation. The SEL2 escapes, on the contrary, mainly have a single initial burn and a long coast arc, but need an additional final thrust arc if the required C3 is high. As applications of such Lagrangian Point trajectories, results include considerations about escape maneuvers from different SEL2 high-fidelity Lyapunov orbits and escape for interplanetary trajectories towards near-earth asteroids.

Numerical study of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in dry microburst environment using large eddy simulation (LES) model

PurposeIn a microburst wind, the profiles and characteristics are significantly different from those of normal boundary layer winds. The objective of this work is to study the microburst effect on the performance of aircraft for providing guidelines to frame escape strategies.Design/methodology/approachLarge eddy simulation model is used to study the effect of microburst by simulating the actual physical process of microburst-generated downdraft environment over the unmanned aerial vehicle. In this work, an attempt has been made to simulate the dry microburst (microburst not accompanied by rain) numerically using the impinging jet model to explore the effect of microburst at 12° angle of attack for flight take-off condition with a Mach number 0.04.FindingsThe numerical results revealed the aerodynamic performance loss of an aircraft in the microburst-generated downdraft during take-off condition quantitatively. This could be a more valuable information to the aviation industry. The authors believe that the results shown in this paper will be useful for the designers of aircraft. This will also help train the pilots to control the airplanes in a microburst environment.Practical implicationsSevere thunderstorms are significant weather phenomena that have a significant impact on various facets of national activity, including civil and defence operations, specifically aviation, space vehicle launch and agriculture, in addition to their potential to cause damage to life and property.Originality/valueThe maximum percentage of pressure increases on the upper surface of the aircraft between 2 and 7 s is 99.86% under the microburst-generated downdraft condition. The flight escape maneuver could be initiated, before increasing the pressure on the upper surface of the aircraft. The aircraft flies with high airspeed through the microburst environment, where the microburst-generated downdraft is most severe.

Diurnal and nocturnal mosquitoes escape looming threats using distinct flight strategies

Flying insects have evolved the ability to evade looming objects, such as predators and swatting hands. This is particularly relevant for blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes that routinely need to evade the defensive actions of their blood hosts. To minimize the chance of being swatted, a mosquito can use two distinct strategies-continuously exhibiting an unpredictable flight path or maximizing its escape maneuverability. We studied how baseline flight unpredictability and escape maneuverability affect the escape performance of day-active and night-active mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Anopheles coluzzii, respectively). We used a multi-camera high-speed videography system to track how freely flying mosquitoes respond to an event-triggered rapidly approaching mechanical swatter, in four different light conditions ranging from pitch darkness to overcast daylight. Results show that both species exhibit enhanced escape performance in their natural blood-feeding light condition (daylight for Aedes and dark for Anopheles). To achieve this, they show strikingly different behaviors. The enhanced escape performance of Anopheles at night is explained by their increased baseline unpredictable erratic flight behavior, whereas the increased escape performance of Aedes in overcast daylight is due to their enhanced escape maneuvers. This shows that both day and night-active mosquitoes modify their flight behavior in response to light intensity such that their escape performance is maximum in their natural blood-feeding light conditions, when these defensive actions by their blood hosts occur most. Because Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes are major vectors of several deadly human diseases, this knowledge can be used to optimize vector control methods for these specific species.

Emergence of splits and collective turns in pigeon flocks under predation.

Complex patterns of collective behaviour may emerge through self-organization, from local interactions among individuals in a group. To understand what behavioural rules underlie these patterns, computational models are often necessary. These rules have not yet been systematically studied for bird flocks under predation. Here, we study airborne flocks of homing pigeons attacked by a robotic falcon, combining empirical data with a species-specific computational model of collective escape. By analysing GPS trajectories of flocking individuals, we identify two new patterns of collective escape: early splits and collective turns, occurring even at large distances from the predator. To examine their formation, we extend an agent-based model of pigeons with a ‘discrete’ escape manoeuvre by a single initiator, namely a sudden turn interrupting the continuous coordinated motion of the group. Both splits and collective turns emerge from this rule. Their relative frequency depends on the angular velocity and position of the initiator in the flock: sharp turns by individuals at the periphery lead to more splits than collective turns. We confirm this association in the empirical data. Our study highlights the importance of discrete and uncoordinated manoeuvres in the collective escape of bird flocks and advocates the systematic study of their patterns across species.

Great tits do not compensate over time for a radio-tag-induced reduction in escape-flight performance.

The use of biologging and tracking devices is widespread in avian behavioral and ecological studies. Carrying these devices rarely has major behavioral or fitness effects in the wild, yet it may still impact animals in more subtle ways, such as during high power demanding escape maneuvers. Here, we tested whether or not great tits (Parus major) carrying a backpack radio‐tag changed their body mass or flight behavior over time to compensate for the detrimental effect of carrying a tag. We tested 18 great tits, randomly assigned to a control (untagged) or one of two different types of a radio‐tag as used in previous studies in the wild (0.9 g or 1.2 g; ~5% or ~6–7% of body mass, respectively), and determined their upward escape‐flight performance 1, 7, 14, and 28 days after tagging. In between experiments, birds were housed in large free‐flight aviaries. For each escape‐flight, we used high‐speed 3D videography to determine flight paths, escape‐flight speed, wingbeat frequency, and actuator disk loading (ratio between the bird weight and aerodynamic thrust production capacity). Tagged birds flew upward with lower escape‐flight speeds, caused by an increased actuator disk loading. During the 28‐day period, all groups slightly increased their body mass and their in‐flight wingbeat frequency. In addition, during this period, all groups of birds increased their escape‐flight speed, but tagged birds did so at a lower rate than untagged birds. This suggests that birds may increase their escape‐flight performance through skill learning; however, tagged birds still remained slower than controls. Our findings suggest that tagging a songbird can have a prolonged effect on the performance of rapid flight maneuvers. Given the absence of tag effects on reproduction and survival in most songbird radio‐tagging studies, tagged birds in the wild might adjust their risk‐taking behavior to avoid performing rapid flight maneuvers.

Investigation of the Notable Maneuvers of a Low-speed Air Platform to Get Away from Surface-to-Air Threats

The most reasonable attitude in order for low-speed aerial platforms including helicopters and unmanned air vehicles which do not involve any counter measure system to survive is to get away with a convenient maneuver when they are subjected to man-portable surface-to-air rockets and missiles. The mentioned approach may become challenging for low-speed platforms. In this study, the effectiveness of notable escape maneuvers is investigated using relevant computer simulations for a low-speed aerial platform. This way, it is shown that the aerial platforms can escape from surface-to-air threats under the circumstance of lack of any counter measure opportunity.

Bio-Inspired Rapid Escape and Tight Body Flip on an At-Scale Flapping Wing Hummingbird Robot Via Reinforcement Learning

Insects and hummingbirds are capable of acrobatic maneuvers such as rapid turns and tight 360 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> body flips. It is challenging for bio-inspired flapping wing micro aerial vehicles to achieve animal-like performance during such maneuvers due to their limitation in mechanism sophistication and flight control. Besides being significantly underactuated compared to their natural counterparts, flight dynamics is highly nonlinear with rapidly changing, unsteady aerodynamics which remains largely unknown during aggressive maneuvers. As a result, conventional model-based control methods are inadequate to address such maneuvers effectively due to the lack of control references and aerodynamic models. In addition, during acrobatic maneuvers such as body flips, conventional control methods with underlying stabilization mechanisms would temporarily contradict the maneuvering requirements when the vehicle undergoes a full body flip including turning upside-down. In this article, reinforcement learning (RL) has been used to complement model-based control to enable animal-like maneuverability. The learned control policy serves in two different ways to either aid or even completely takeover the conventional stabilization controller in certain cases. We experimentally demonstrate animal-like maneuverability on an at-scale, dual-motor actuated flapping wing hummingbird robot. Two test cases have been performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of such integrated control methods: 1) a rapid escape maneuver recorded from hummingbirds, 2) a tight 360 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> body flip inspired by houseflies. By leveraging RL, the hummingbird robot demonstrated a shorter completion time in escape maneuvers compared to the traditional control-based method. It also performed 360 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> body flip successfully within only one wingspan vertical displacement.