Neuromechanical model of the praying mantis Tenodera sinensis, CWRU Biorobotics Lab, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

This neuromechanical model of the praying mantis Tenodera sinensis uses its hind four legs, thorax joints, and neck to orient its head towards prey. The model has no vision, but instead seeks to rotate its head to some absolute orientation, similar to how one tracks a visual signal. The muscles at each joint apply force to maintain a constant body height, reject lateral and longitudinal perturbations, while simultaneously rotating the abdomen, thorax and head toward the "prey." The model contains no body model, but rather uses distributed neural controllers based on those known to exist in insects to apply force where necessary.

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