Tiny Flies, Big Insights: How Blow Flies Detect Force for Balance and Movement.

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology has uncovered how blow flies (Calliphora vicina) detect and respond to mechanical forces, shedding light on the biomechanics of insect movement and offering valuable knowledge for robotics innovation.

Conducted by researchers at Marshall University and West Virginia University, the study explored the function of campaniform sensilla—specialized strain-detecting organs located in the hindleg tibia of the fly. These sensors were found to be highly sensitive not only to the strength of applied force but also to how rapidly the force changes. Notably, even slight and brief reductions in force significantly suppressed the sensors' activity.

“Force sensing plays a crucial role in balance and locomotion,” said Dr. Sasha Zill, lead author and professor of biomedical sciences at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. “Our findings show that even very light insects like blow flies monitor both the magnitude and dynamics of force in sophisticated ways.”

The study also observed that the sensory response of these organs demonstrates hysteresis—indicating that prior force exposure affects future response—and is finely tuned to brief shifts in pressure. A mathematical model, initially designed for larger insects, was able to replicate the sensory responses seen in the blow flies. This suggests that force detection mechanisms may follow a scalable, cross-species strategy that supports muscle coordination and postural control.

According to Zill, this understanding could guide the development of more adaptive and stable walking robots by replicating how biological systems interpret force stimuli.

The research team also included Sumaiya Chaudhry and Hibba Chaudhry from Marshall University and Dr. Nicholas Szczecinski from the West Virginia University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-biomechanics-reveals-tiny-insects.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.