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Updated: Mar 4, 2026

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
Published on: April 13, 2011
Template for the neural control of directed stepping generalized to all legs of MantisBot
Nicholas S Szczecinski1, Roger D Quinn
1Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States of America.
Abstract:
We previously developed a neural controller for one leg of our six-legged robot, MantisBot, that could direct locomotion toward a goal by modulating leg-local reflexes with simple descending commands from a head sensor. In this work, we successfully apply an automated method to tune the control network for all three pairs of legs of our hexapod robot MantisBot in only 90 s with a desktop computer. Each foot's motion changes appropriately as the body's intended direction of travel changes. In addition, several results from studies of walking insects are captured by this model. This paper both demonstrates the broad applicability of this control method for robots, and suggests neural mechanisms underlying observations from walking insects.
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