Swarm of micro flying robots in the wild

Science Robotics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 7(66)

Published: May 4, 2022

Aerial robots are widely deployed, but highly cluttered environments such as dense forests remain inaccessible to drones and even more so swarms of drones. In these scenarios, previously unknown surroundings narrow corridors combined with requirements swarm coordination can create challenges. To enable navigation in the wild, we develop miniature fully autonomous a trajectory planner that function timely accurate manner based on limited information from onboard sensors. The planning problem satisfies various task including flight efficiency, obstacle avoidance, inter-robot collision dynamical feasibility, coordination, on, thus realizing an extensible planner. Furthermore, proposed deforms shapes adjusts time allocation synchronously spatial-temporal joint optimization. A high-quality be obtained after exhaustively exploiting solution space within only few milliseconds, most constrained environment. is finally integrated into developed palm-sized platform perception, localization, control. Benchmark comparisons validate superior performance quality computing time. Various real-world field experiments demonstrate extensibility our system. Our approach evolves aerial robotics three aspects: capability environment navigation, diverse requirements, without external facilities.

Language: Английский

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Inner ear sensory system changes as extinct crocodylomorphs transitioned from land to water

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 117(19), P. 10422 - 10428

Published: April 20, 2020

Major evolutionary transitions, in which animals develop new body plans and adapt to dramatically habitats lifestyles, have punctuated the history of life. The origin cetaceans from land-living mammals is among most famous these events. Much earlier, during Mesozoic Era, many reptile groups also moved land water, but transitions are more poorly understood. We use computed tomography study changes inner ear vestibular system, involved sensing balance equilibrium, as one groups, extinct crocodile relatives called thalattosuchians, transitioned terrestrial ancestors into pelagic (open ocean) swimmers. find that morphology system corresponds habitat, with thalattosuchians exhibiting a compact labyrinth wider semicircular canal diameters an enlarged vestibule, reminiscent modified miniaturized labyrinths other marine reptiles cetaceans. Pelagic ears were culmination trend long semiaquatic phase, their systems appeared after first postcranial skeleton enhanced ability swim. This strikingly different cetaceans, soon entering without prolonged stage. Thus, became secondarily aquatic ways at paces, showing there routes for same type transition.

Language: Английский

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Whence the birds: 200 years of dinosaurs, avian antecedents

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 21(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Among the most revolutionary insights emerging from 200 years of research on dinosaurs is that clade Dinosauria represented by approximately 11 000 living species birds. Although origin birds among has been reviewed extensively, recent have witnessed tremendous progress in our understanding deep evolutionary origins numerous distinctive avian anatomical systems. These advances enabled exciting new fossil discoveries, leading to an ever-expanding phylogenetic framework with which pinpoint characteristic features. The present review focuses four notable systems whose Mesozoic history greatly clarified discoveries: brain, kinetic palate, pectoral girdle and postcranial skeletal pneumaticity.

Language: Английский

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Evolution of the Sauropterygian Labyrinth with Increasingly Pelagic Lifestyles

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 27(24), P. 3852 - 3858.e3

Published: Dec. 1, 2017

Language: Английский

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Deep evolutionary diversification of semicircular canals in archosaurs

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(12), P. 2520 - 2529.e6

Published: April 29, 2021

Language: Английский

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Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs

Science, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 372(6542), P. 610 - 613

Published: May 6, 2021

Revealing behavioral secrets in extinct species Extinct had complex behaviors, just like modern species, but fossils generally reveal little of these details. New approaches that allow for the study structures relate directly to behavior are greatly improving our understanding lifestyles animals (see Perspective by Witmer). Hanson et al. looked at three-dimensional scans archosauromorph inner ears and found clear patterns relating bones movement, including flight. Choiniere scleral eye rings a emergence nocturnality early theropod evolution. Together, papers complexity evolutionary groups. Science , this issue p. 601 610 ; see also 575

Language: Английский

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Macroevolutionary drivers of morphological disparity in the avian quadrate

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2017)

Published: Feb. 21, 2024

In birds, the quadrate connects mandible and skull, plays an important role in cranial kinesis. Avian morphology may therefore be assumed to have been influenced by selective pressures related feeding ecology, yet large-scale variation its potential relationship with ecology never quantitatively investigated. Here, we used geometric morphometrics phylogenetic comparative methods quantify morphological of key ecological features across a wide sample. We found non-significant associations between shape different scales comparison; indeed, allometry phylogeny exhibit stronger relationships than features. show that similar shapes are associated widely varying dietary ecologies (one-to-many mapping), while divergent (many-to-one mapping). Moreover, avian evolves as integrated unit exhibits strong morphologies neighbouring bones. Our results collectively illustrate has evolved jointly other elements kinetic system, major crown bird lineages exploring alternative morphologies, highlighting diagnostic value investigations systematics.

Language: Английский

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Neurovascular anatomy of the protostegid turtle Rhinochelys pulchriceps and comparisons of membranous and endosseous labyrinth shape in an extant turtle

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: June 15, 2019

Abstract Chelonioid turtles are the only surviving group of reptiles that secondarily evolved marine lifestyles during Mesozoic Early chelonioid evolution is documented by fossils their stem group, such as protostegids, which yield insights into adaptation. Neuroanatomical features commonly used to infer palaeoecology owing functional adaptation senses an organism its environment. We investigated neuroanatomy and carotid circulation early Late Cretaceous protostegid Rhinochelys pulchriceps based on micro-computed tomography data. show trigeminal foramen not homologous other reptiles. The endosseous labyrinth R. has thick semicircular canals a high aspect ratio. Comparisons among ratio reliable predictor degree aquatic adaptation, contradicting previous hypotheses. provide first models neuroanatomical soft tissues extant turtle. Turtle brain morphology reflected cavity, provides incomplete reflection membranous duct morphology. Membranous geometry conserved across gnathostomes, allows approximate reconstruction total from despite poor

Language: Английский

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The early origin of a birdlike inner ear and the evolution of dinosaurian movement and vocalization

Science, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 372(6542), P. 601 - 609

Published: May 6, 2021

Reptiles, including birds, exhibit a range of behaviorally relevant adaptations that are reflected in changes to the structure inner ear. These include capacity for flight and sensitivity high-frequency sound. We used three-dimensional morphometric analyses large sample extant extinct reptiles investigate ear correlates locomotor ability hearing acuity. Statistical revealed three vestibular morphotypes, best explained by categories-quadrupeds, bipeds simple fliers (including bipedal nonavialan dinosaurs), high-maneuverability fliers. Troodontids fall with Archaeopteryx among low-maneuverability Analyses cochlear shape single instance elongation, on stem Archosauria. suggest this transformation coincided origin both high-pitched juvenile location, alarm, hatching-synchronization calls adult responses them.

Language: Английский

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Fossil basicranium clarifies the origin of the avian central nervous system and inner ear

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 289(1983)

Published: Sept. 28, 2022

Among terrestrial vertebrates, only crown birds (Neornithes) rival mammals in terms of relative brain size and behavioural complexity. Relatedly, the anatomy avian central nervous system associated sensory structures, such as vestibular inner ear, are highly modified with respect to those other extant reptile lineages. However, a dearth three-dimensional Mesozoic fossils has limited our knowledge origins distinctive endocranial structures birds. Traits an expanded, flexed brain, ventral connection between spinal column, have been regarded exclusive Neornithes. Here, we demonstrate all these ‘advanced’ traits undistorted braincase from Upper Cretaceous enantiornithine bonebed southeastern Brazil. Our discovery suggests that bird-like may originated prior split Enantiornithes more crownward portion phylogeny over 140 Ma, while coexisting remarkably plesiomorphic cranial base posterior palate region. Altogether, results support interpretation morphologies their relatives affected by complex trade-offs spatial constraints during development.

Language: Английский

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