Towards a biomimetic gyroscope inspired by the fly's haltere using microelectromechanical systems technology

H Droogendijk; R A Brookhuis; M J de Boer; R G P Sanders; G J M Krijnen

doi:10.1098/rsif.2014.0573

Towards a biomimetic gyroscope inspired by the fly's haltere using microelectromechanical systems technology

J R Soc Interface. 2014 Oct 6;11(99):20140573. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0573.

Authors

H Droogendijk¹, R A Brookhuis², M J de Boer², R G P Sanders², G J M Krijnen²

Affiliations

¹ MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands h.droogendijk@utwente.nl.
² MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Flies use so-called halteres to sense body rotation based on Coriolis forces for supporting equilibrium reflexes. Inspired by these halteres, a biomimetic gimbal-suspended gyroscope has been developed using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Design rules for this type of gyroscope are derived, in which the haltere-inspired MEMS gyroscope is geared towards a large measurement bandwidth and a fast response, rather than towards a high responsivity. Measurements for the biomimetic gyroscope indicate a (drive mode) resonance frequency of about 550 Hz and a damping ratio of 0.9. Further, the theoretical performance of the fly's gyroscopic system and the developed MEMS haltere-based gyroscope is assessed and the potential of this MEMS gyroscope is discussed.

Keywords: MEMS; biomimetic; fly; gyroscope; haltere.

MeSH terms

Animals
Bioengineering / methods*
Biomechanical Phenomena
Biomimetic Materials*
Diptera
Mechanotransduction, Cellular / physiology*
Rotation*
Wings, Animal / physiology*