Invasive insect species are insects that have been transported through several mechanisms into areas they are not indigenous to. They can be a real problem to agriculture if there is no native species in the new location to take the place of their normal predators.
An optical encoder is used to measure speed and direction as the test subject travels around the flight mill.
News
We are re-emerging after the catastrophic loss of our old server, Aragorn. Please be patient as we are preparing to donate the old Aragorn to our e-Waste friends at AG Electronics and complete restoration of the new Aragorn.
The King is dead.
Long live the King.
Insect Flight Mills
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside are working on ways to control or eliminate invasive species and one of the characteristics they study is energy expenditure.
So, how do you measure bug power? Well - a bug mill - of course. Use of an optical encoder with a balanced beam fixture developed with UCR allows the researchers to tether an insect to one end of the beam and read speed, velocity, and direction while the specimen travels around the arc.
Previous page: Archives
Next page: Running a Ford Ranger on Rocket Fuel