MOTHS could help scientists develop decision-making programs for autonomous drones

The flight patterns of moths could help scientists to develop decision-making programs for autonomous drones to help them navigate unfamiliar environments. Researchers led from Washington State in the US analysed how moths flew through a simulated forest of light beams to create a drone navigation model to test. They found that the moths' navigation strategy is highly flexible and best suited for dense forests -- an adaptation that likely evolved in response to their habitat. By using real data from animal flight paths, the researchers said that they should be able to program drones to autonomously navigate cluttered environments. Biologist Thomas Daniel of the University of Washington in Seattle and colleagues mounted eight tobacco hawk moths -- or Mantuca sexta -- on the end of metal rods that were connected to a torque meter.