The Science of Hovering: How 'Extremum-Seeking' Feedback Explains Insect Flight
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: General Science (Biology - Evolution, Adaptation); Science & Technology (Robotics, Drones, Biomimetics/Bio-inspiration, Artificial Intelligence).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (Science & Technology): "Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life"; "Awareness in the fields of IT, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology"; "Achievements of Indians in science & technology" (Understanding global S&T trends is crucial).
Key Highlights from the News
How creatures like insects and hummingbirds manage to stay suspended motionlessly in the air (hovering) was a puzzle for the scientific community.
The old assumption was that this requires complex neural abilities and computation.
However, a new study finds that this does not require complex calculations, but is instead made possible by a simple "trial and error" system called the "Extremum-Seeking (ES) feedback system".
This system makes small adjustments to the wing beat speed and angle, evaluates the result, and automatically finds the most stable state (the "sweet spot" or extremum).
This discovery will help engineers build new bio-inspired drones that can fly stably using very little computing power and sensors.
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