The Stick Insect Antenna as a Biological Paragon for an Actively Moved Tactile Probe for Obstacle Detection

We propose the stick insect antenna as a biological model for the study of the tactile sense and its active use in guiding leg movements. During walking, stick insects perform rhythmic antennal movements which are well-coordinated with leg movements. Antennal contact with an obstacle can lead to rapid adaptation of the ongoing leg movement, e.g. by re-targeting of a swing movement. The typical antennal movement pattern is sufficient to reliably detect obstacles of critical height, i.e. where leg reflexes alone will not suffice to overcome the obstacle. The technical application of insect-like actively moved tactile probes on a legged robot may provide a simple, fast and reliable means of object detection within the working range of the front legs.