New research published today in Nature Communications presents stunning images of the neurons necessary for 3D vision in praying mantises. In a specially designed insect cinema, the mantises were fitted with 3D glasses and shown 3D movies of simulated bugs while their brain activity was monitored.
“This helps us answer how insects achieve surprisingly complex behavior with such tiny brains, and understanding this can help us develop simpler algorithms to develop better robot and machine vision,” says first author Ronny Rosner of Newcastle University.
Praying mantises use 3D perception, scientifically known as stereopsis, for hunting. By using the disparity between the two retinas, they are able to compute distances and trigger a strike of their forelegs when prey is within reach. The neurons recorded were stained, revealing their shape, which allowed the team to identify four classes of neurons likely to be involved in mantis stereopsis.
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“In some ways, the properties in the mantises are similar to what we see in the visual cortex of primates. When we see two very different species have independently evolved similar solutions like this, we know this must be a really good way of solving 3D vision,” says senior author Jenny Read, also of Newcastle University. “But we’ve also found some feedback loops within the 3D vision circuit which haven’t previously been reported in vertebrates. Our 3D vision may well include similar feedback loops, but they are much easier to identify in a less complex insect brain and this provides us with new avenues to explore.”
The Newcastle researchers intend to further develop their research to better understand the computation of the relatively simple brain of the praying mantis with the aim of developing simpler algorithms for machine and robot vision.
“Despite their tiny size, mantis brains contain a surprising number of neurons which seem specialized for 3D vision. This suggests that mantis depth perception is more complex than we thought. And while these neurons compute distance, we still don’t know how exactly,” Rosner says. “Even so, as theirs are so much smaller than our own brains, we hope mantises can help us develop simpler algorithms for machine vision.”
Image: This is a 3D neuron captured under a microscope. Image courtesy of Newcastle University, UK.