Dynamics, Control, and Stabilization of Turning Flight in Fruit Flies

Complex behaviors of flying insects require interactions among sensory-neural systems, wing actuation biomechanics, and flapping-wing aerodynamics. Here, we review our recent progress in understanding these layers for maneuvering and stabilization flight of fruit flies. Our approach combines kinematic data from flying insects and aerodynamic simulations to distill reduced-order mathematical models of flight dynamics, wing actuation mechanisms, and control and stabilization strategies. Our central findings include: (1) During in-flight turns, fruit flies generate torque by subtly modulating wing angle of attack, in effect paddling to push off the air; (2) These motions are generated by biasing the orientation of a biomechanical brake that tends to resist rotation of the wing; (3) A simple and fast sensory-neural feedback scheme determines this wing actuation and thus the paddling motions needed for stabilization of flight heading against external disturbances. These studies illustrate a powerful approach for studying the integration of sensory-neural feedback, actuation, and aerodynamic strategies used by flying insects.