Frequency analysis of a bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) wingbeat

Joaquín Santoyo, Willy Azarcoya, Manuel Valencia, Alfonso Torres, Joaquín Salas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The wingbeat of an insect relates directly to energy consumption, is a strong indicator of its rate of metabolism and physical structure, and inversely relates to the length of its wing and to the mass of its body. It is also a principal component in understanding the aerodynamic properties of its flight. In this paper, we introduce a method based on the use of high-speed cameras and computer vision techniques to analyze a bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) wingbeat. We start capturing images with a virtual stereo system when a bumblebee crosses two intersecting laser beams. Then, we detect moving objects using background subtraction. Next, via Fourier analysis of the observed optical flow contraction/expansion, and marginalization of prior knowledge, we estimate the wingbeat frequency. Finally, the information from the two virtual cameras is fused using a robust state estimation. Our system is well prepared to handle occlusions; it works with untethered insects; and it does not require the synchronization of a multi-camera system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)487-493
Number of pages7
JournalPattern Analysis and Applications
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2016

Keywords

  • Bombus impatiens
  • Insect flapping frequency
  • Optical flow analysis
  • Wingbeat analysis

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