Adaptive behavior to sensory organ defect in an insect analyzed by a constructive approach

This study investigates the adaptive compensatory mechanisms in insects, specifically the male silkmoth, when a sensory organ (antenna) is lost, and explores how these mechanisms can be applied to robotic odor source localization. The research shows that a silk moth, even with one antenna removed, maintains 80 % success in odor source localization, indicating an ability to adapt behavior based on the position of odor detection. Experiments revealed that when both antennas are intact, the moth uses both odor cues for movement direction, while a single antenna alters the behavioral selection according to the odor detection position. This adaptive behavior was modeled and implemented in a quadruped robot, where the proposed behavior selection model improved search success with a single odor-sensing device. However, when bilateral odor information was available, the search success was improved by utilizing the timing of odor detection on both sides. The findings highlight the importance of leveraging bilateral odor cues for efficient odor source localization and suggest that adaptive behavior based on detection position can maintain performance without one sensory organ.