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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
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Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
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Camponotus japonicus locomotion on vertically undulating mesoscale rough terrain
Ming Zeng1, Liang Mao1, Chang Meng1
1Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Unmanned Swarm Technology and System, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|March 11, 2026
Summary
Ants adjust their walking speed and gait patterns on rough terrain. Increased roughness leads to slower speeds and a shift from tripod to tetrapod-like gaits, offering insights for bionic robots.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Robotics
- Animal Locomotion
Background:
- Mesoscale rough terrain is crucial for animal movement.
- Understanding how terrain roughness affects locomotion is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate ant locomotion on varied mesoscale rough terrain.
- Analyze kinematic and gait changes in response to roughness.
Main Methods:
- Designed six terrains with varying roughness.
- Recorded ant (Camponotus japonicus) locomotion with high-speed cameras.
- Utilized markerless pose estimation for limb keypoint analysis.
Main Results:
- Increased terrain roughness reduced ant walking speed (shorter stride length, longer stride period).
- Ants exhibited lateral foot placement away from the body midline.
- Gait analysis showed a transition from tripod to tetrapod-like gaits with increasing roughness.
Conclusions:
- Mesoscale terrain roughness significantly reorganizes ant spatiotemporal gait patterns.
- Locomotive adaptability in ants offers bio-inspired solutions for bionic robots.
- Findings provide insights for developing adaptable multi-legged robots for complex environments.
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