Neural dynamics: Keeping track of time in the fly mushroom body

When an object moves with constant acceleration, the velocity of the object changes at a constant rate throughout the motion. The kinematic equations of motions are derived for such cases where the acceleration of the object is constant. The first kinematic equation gives an insight into the relationship between velocity, acceleration, and time. We can see, for example:

Velocity and position can be calculated from the known function of acceleration as a function of time. The total area under the acceleration-time graph and the velocity-time graph gives the change in velocity and position, respectively. In the case of an airplane, its acceleration is tracked using the inertial navigation system. The pilot provides the input of the airplane's initial position and velocity before takeoff. The inertial navigation system then uses the acceleration data to calculate...

Motion draws our attention. Motion itself can be beautiful, causing us to marvel at the forces needed to create spectacular sights, such as that of a dolphin jumping out of the water, the flight of a bird, or the orbit of a satellite. The study of motion is kinematics, but kinematics only describes the way objects move—their velocity and acceleration. Dynamics considers the forces that affect the motion of moving objects and systems. Newton's laws of motion are the foundation of dynamics. These...

Newton's first law states that a net external force causes a change in motion. External forces act on an object or system, originating outside of the object or system. In contrast, internal forces originate inside the system of interest and do not lead to any acceleration. In simpler words, internal forces are forces that act on one part of an object and are exerted by another part of the same object. External forces are forces that act on an object due to some other object. Therefore, when...

According to Newton’s second law of motion, the rate of change of the momentum of an object is the net external force acting on it. The total change in momentum between two timepoints thus depends on both the external force acting on it and the time over which it acts. Describing this mathematically, the total change of an object’s motion is proportional to the force vector and the time over which it is applied. This product is called impulse.
Additionally, it can be shown that the total...

Accurate position tracking is fundamental to the safe and effective operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly during precision maneuvers near complex structures. In this scenario, a drone is programmed to perform a high-precision inspection of a vertical structure, starting at position ((x, y, z) = (3, 0, 0)), with an initial velocity oriented in the positive z-direction. The trajectory of the drone is governed by a time-dependent acceleration function a(t), which is predefined...