Over the course of their wildly successful proliferation across the earth, the insects as a
taxon have evolved enviable adaptations to their diverse habitats, which include adhesives …

For insects living in an environment where food supplies constantly change, the ability to
learn and to memorize the association of a specific cue with food is indispensable. The …

Previous work using an atomic force microscope in nanoindenter mode indicated that the
outer, 10-to 15-μm thick, keratinised layer of tree frog toe pads has a modulus of elasticity …

Many beetles employ arrays of adhesive setae to control attachment during locomotion.
Here we investigate whether and how variation in seta structure, both between sexes and …

Contact constraints arise naturally in many robot planning problems. In recent years, a
variety of contact-implicit trajectory optimization algorithms have been developed that avoid …

Many insects and some larger animals, such as geckos, skinks, and tree frogs, can easily
climb vertical walls and even walk on the ceiling. These abilities require a method to attach …

Stick insects (Carausius morosus) have two distinct types of attachment pad per leg, tarsal
“heel” pads (euplantulae) and a pre-tarsal “toe” pad (arolium). Here we show that these two …

The regulation of forces is integral to motor control. However, it is unclear how information
from sense organs that detect forces at individual muscles or joints is incorporated into a …

Despite numerous aging studies, the relationship between oxidative stress, aging, and
decline in functions such as locomotion is still debated. Insects offer a promising model for …

Locomotor deficits frequently accompany aging in animals. These deficits are often caused
by degeneration in the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Insects are an excellent …