Feeling what an insect feels

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 1;9(10):e108895. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108895. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We describe a manually operated, bilateral mechanical scaling instrument that simultaneously magnifies microscopic forces and reduces displacements with quasi-perfect transparency. In contrast with existing micro-teleoperation designs, the system is unconditionally stable for any scaling gains and interaction curves. In the present realization, the work done by the hand is more than a million times that done by a microscopic probe so that one can feel complete interaction cycles with water and compare them to what is felt when an insect leg interacts with a wet surface.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Insecta
  • Models, Biological
  • Touch / physiology*

Grants and funding

The work is supported by the European Research Council (FP7) ERC Advanced Grant (patch) to VH (No. 247300) and the French National Agency of Research, through the PACMAN project to SR. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.