The analysis of orientation behaviour of insects in the virtual odour space.

研究人员已经在日本建立了一个运动补偿器或伺服球体装置的原型，它补偿了测试动物在球体上的所有运动活动。在本研究中，该装置被进一步开发用于对昆虫进行虚拟现实实验：通过参考线索的空间模型，通过实时控制方向线索（如风和气味脉冲）来引导测试昆虫走向虚拟目标。如果昆虫被成功地引导到目标，则证明该模型是可行的。这就需要比原型机更精确、更快速地控制球体，因此，不仅要改进硬件，而且要改进设备的软件。本研究的前一部分包括对这些实际问题的工程解决方案，如对实时继电器控制的驱动软件的扩展以及在轨迹分析程序中植入GUI控制。结果，该装置被改进为一种高速，高分辨率的机器，可以使测试昆虫实时受控地暴露于气味刺激中。然后在该装置上研究了性信息素刺激下的雄蚕蛾拍打翅膀的功能。对断翅雄虫的实验结果表明，通过拍打翅膀提取前方的大气可能是雄虫向信息素源定位的主要机制。然后设计了一个虚拟气味空间，当雄性雄性朝向虚拟目标时，它会发出信息素脉冲。不管它的翅膀状况如何，雄鸟都被成功地引导到了目标。该结果被认为证明了虚拟现实实验展示空间定向机制的可行性。

The researcher had already built a prototype of a locomotion compensator or servo-sphere apparatus, which compensates all the locomotive activities of a test animal on a sphere, at first in Japan. In this research, the apparatus was developed further to perform virtual reality experiments on insects : to guide a test insect toward a virtual target by the real time control of directional cues, such as wind and odour pulses, in reference to a space model of a cue. If the insect was guided successfully to reach the target, the model is proved to be viable. This requires more precise and rapid control of the sphere than that of the prototype, so not only the hardware but also the software of the apparatus had to be improved. The former part of this research includes engineering solutions of these practical issues, such as, the extension of a driver software for the real time relay control and the planting of GUI control in a track-analysis program. As a result, the apparatus was refined to be a high-speed, high-resolution machine, which enables the controlled exposure for a test insect to an odour stimulus at real time. Then the function of wing-beating performed by a sex-pheromonally stimulated male silkworm moth was investigated on the apparatus. Experimental results on wing-amputated males suggested that the extraction of atmospheric air in front by beating wings could be a principal mechanism for the male to orientate himself toward a pheromone source. Then a virtual odour space was designed to give pheromonal pulsed to a male when he directed toward a virtual target. The male was successfully guided to the target irrespective of his wing condition. The result is believed to prove the viability of a virtual reality experiment for demonstrating a spatial orientation mechanism.