Communications of the ACM
Bug Eyes: Tiny Glasses Confirm 3D Vision in Insects
A Newcastle University team has confirmed the praying mantis uses stereopsis, or three-dimensional perception, for hunting.
Credit: Newcastle University
Newcastle University researchers have found the praying mantis uses stereopsis, or three-dimensional (3D) perception, for hunting.
The researchers developed a specially designed insect cinema, and equipped the mantises with custom-made glasses with one blue and one green lens instead of the traditional red and blue lenses, because red light is poorly visible to mantises.
"Despite their minute brains, mantises are sophisticated visual hunters which can capture prey with terrifying efficiency," says Newcastle professor Jenny Read.
The research could lead to possible new algorithms for 3D depth perception in computers.
In the experiments, the mantises were shown short videos of simulated bugs moving around a computer screen. The insects did not try to catch the bugs when they were displayed in two dimensions, but when the bugs were shown in 3D, apparently floating in front of the screen, the mantises struck out at them. The researchers note this proves mantises do use 3D vision.
The researchers say they will continue examining the algorithms used for depth perception in insects to better understand how human vision evolved and to develop new ways of adding 3D technology to computer systems.
From Newcastle University (UK)
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