A mechanism of insect behavior emerging through a microbrain

本研究的目的是根据生物和生理结果建立昆虫嗅觉信息系统的模型，重构机器人系统，并对其进行评价。被调查的行为是雄蚕蛾的信息素定向行为，它被雌蛾的气味引诱并到达雌蛾。一种是电天线图模型，另一种是定向行为产生模型。考虑到嗅觉感受器细胞的结构和其中的化学现象，推导了刺激强度与触角图幅值之间的关系。这意味着信息素刺激的强度可以通过电天线图来估计。此外，使用电天线图的波形模板，可以精确地进行检测。实验结果证明了模型的有效性。所提出的动力学模型是基于大脑中动脉中LAL-VPC区的活动水平随时间常数缓慢振荡的事实，该时间常数由神经调节器确定。该模型对行为做出了长时间的响应。模拟证实，信息素的极短时间刺激会形成一系列的定向行为模式。用这些模型制作了一个小型机器人，它在信息素的领域中产生了行为模式。由于这个机器人到达了15厘米外的信息素来源，这表明了模型的有效性。通过将该机器人的行为与蚕蛾的行为进行比较，对其进行了统计评价。

The purpose of this study is to make a model of an olfactory information system of an insect based on biological and physiological results, to reconstruct a robot system, and to evaluate it. The investigated behavior is a pheromone orientation behavior of a male silkworm moth, that is attracted by an odor of a female moth and reaches the female.In this study, we proposed an olfactory information system consisting of two elements. One was a model of an electroantennogram, and the other was a model of generation of orientation behavior. Considering the structure of an olfactory receptor cell and the chemical phenomena in it, the relationship between the intensity of stimuli and the amplitude of an electroantennogram was derived. That means the intensity of the pheromone stimuli can be estimated by an electroantennogram. Also using a template of a waveform of an electroantennogram, the detection can be done precisely. The validity of the models was shown using experimental results.The proposed dynamics model is based on the fact that an activity level of LAL-VPC region, which is in an arteria cerebri media, oscillates slowly with the time constant which is determined by a neuromodulator. The model made a long time response of behavior. The simulation confirmed that very short time stimuli of pheromone made a serial pattern of orientation behavior. A small robot with these models was made, and it generated the behavior pattern in a field of pheromone. Since this robot reached a source of pheromone 15 cm away, it showed the validity of models. By comparing the behavior of the robot with one of a silkworm moth, the evaluation was made statistically.