Researchers at the National University of Australia have recorded a day in the life of a wasp.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Maybe there will be a new TV show called Days of our Wasps featuring the footage captured by the researchers at the National University of Australia. The scientists have documented the navigating techniques and complicated routes that the insects display in their day to day lives.
Wasps are considered to be useless by many people, especially those who suffer from allergies or Spheksophobia, the fear of wasps. Even those who suffer from Melissophobia, the fear of bees, are not that fond of the honey insect’s cousin.
But the researchers at the National University of Australia deemed the buzzing, menacing insects worthy enough to be studied closely. If any television show creators will ever consider a Days of Our Wasps TV show, they will be able to use the advanced footage obtained by the Australian researchers.
With the aid of stereo high-speed cameras, a panoramic imager, and three-dimensional modelling the researchers recorded the flight of a wasp and plotted its direction in a clip that features a unique “wasp’s eye view”. It’s something like the fish eye lenses that were very popular a few years back, the only cooler.
The Australian researchers used the panoramic imager in order to record the flight path of a wasp and the three-dimensional modelling to mimic the usual environment in which a wasp spends its time. The final result was a video that showed life from a wasp’s perspective.
The leader of the study, Jochen Zeil, declared that the team’s findings show how flexible, robust and autonomous the insects are, and also their wonderful ability to recognize and memorize different places as they go back and forward between them.
Other studies have shown that wasps engage in very precise flight patterns when they first learn how to fly. Also, when embarking on a journey, they always take the same return path.
Zeil’s team studied the complex pattern of a wasp’s flight for almost ten years before deciding to share their findings with the world.
It seems that the insects use complicated flight maneuvers in order to find their way back to their nest. Zeil and his team discovered that the wasps have a tendency to memorize sticks, rocks, trees or any other objects that could serve as a guiding mark.
The research that the Australian scientists made is not only important in helping future fellow scientists understand the insects, but also in the development of advanced intelligent flying robots.
The Days of Our Wasps footage and the press release can be seen here.
Image source: www.pixabay.com