1. A Comparative Analysis of the Collision Avoidance Systems of Humans and Flying Insects Joseph Kovba, Kira Hohensee, Karima Nigmatulina, Michael Ortiz

2. Motivation Flies have much simpler visual systems, yet they appear to outsmart us whenever we try to swat them. No matter how hard we try…. How do they do that!?

3. The Anatomy of the Fly Eye The fly eye has approximately 4,000-5,000 visual units that are called the ommatidia. Each ommatidium works like a miniature functional eye creating an image of its own. The brain of the insect consequently pieces the multitude of images together into a mosaic-like image. Human eye’s angular resolution is 100 times better than even the most complex fly eye.

4. Ommatidium Structure Every ommatidium unit contains: a lens (the front surface of which makes up a facet) a transparent crystalline cone light-sensitive visual cells, retinulae arranged radially with the relevant rhabomere pigment cells which separate the ommatidium from its neighbors. optic nerve bundle of axons

5. Collision Avoidance Flies & Bees use a simple multiplicative process to determine if a collision will occur. Flies & Bees extract dimensionality of an object from contours and shading.

6. Linear and Pattern Recognition Can you see the lines? Insects see illusory contours like humans do! Insects can memorize complex objects, humans use geons. Insects tend to be influenced by horizontal rather than vertical lines.

7. Shading & Contours Uniform stationary gratings had no effect on the insect’s flight Differing stationary gratings also had no effect on the insect’s flight Horizontally moving gratings (in the bee’s direction) caused the insect to veer to the moving side Horizontally moving gratings (opposing the bee’s direction) caused the insect to veer away from the moving side Gratings cause the insect’s retinal speed to in/decrease if the motion opposes or accompanies the bee’s motion (respectively).

8. Applications Space Exploration - Space Navigation Medical - Laser Surgery Assistance Military - Espionage and Spy Tactics Agricultural - Cost-Effective, Harmless Pest Control

9. Agricultural Tool (Optional Slide) Proposed fly trap for pest control