Ameisen der Gattung Cataglyphis sind in der Lage, auf Basis propriozeptiver Signale zu navigieren. Dabei werden Odometrie und der Neigungswinkel des Untergrunds über die Beinbewegung ermittelt. Das System ist robust und funktioniert mit geringem rechnerischen Aufwand. Dadurch eignet es sich als Vorbild für die Navigation von Laufrobotern in schwierigem Gelände. Ziel ist die Entwicklung eines breit anwendbaren generischen Systems, das über ein bionisch inspiriertes Odometer verfügt. Im Speziellen wird untersucht, ob die charakterisierende Größe in der Neigungsbestimmung die in den Beinen wirkenden Kräfte sind. Die Positionierung der Kraftsensoren im Ameisenbein legt eine weitere Vereinfachung auf die in den Gelenken auftretenden Drehmomente nahe. Die Implementierung des Odometers wird in einer Simulation sowie an einer robotischen Einzelbeinplattform validiert. Vorteile dieses Systems sind die kostengünstige und kompakte Implementierung, die im besten Fall keine zusätzlichen Sensoren benötigt und eine Positionsbestimmung in Echtzeit ohne externe Infrastruktur ermöglicht

The conventional quantitative method for the analysis of inorganic elements in polymer matrices is a complex and time consuming process that presents a significant risk for error. Typically, polymers are digested in a microwave oven or other devices under high temperature and pressure for several hours while employing different mixtures of high purity acids. In many cases, particularly when high concentrations of doped elements are present, the digestion is often incomplete and therefore the reproducibility depends strongly on the type of polymer and additives used. A promising alternative technology that allows for the direct analysis of these polymers without digestion is laser ablation ICP-MS. Due to a lack of available reference materials and the presence of matrix dependent effects, a precise calibration cannot be obtained. In order to compensate for the matrix dependent effects the use of internal standardization is necessary. In this study the correlation between the carbon released during the ablation process and the 13C signal detected by ICP-MS and its use as an internal standard are investigated. For this purpose, twenty-one virgin polymer materials are ablated; the released carbon is determined and correlated with the corresponding integrated 13C signal. The correlation resulted in a direct relationship between the ablated carbon and 13C signal demonstrating the potential ability to neglect at least some of the matrix dependent and transport effects which occur during the laser ablation of virgin polymers.

We investigated the formation of Artemia franciscana swarms of freshly hatched instar I nauplii larvae. Nauplii were released into light gradients but then interrupted by light-direction changes, small obstacles, or long barriers. All experiments were carried out horizontally. Each experiment used independent replicates. Freshly produced Artemia broods were harvested from independent incubators thus providing true replicate cohorts of Artemia subjected as replicates to the experimental treatments. We discovered that Artemia nauplii swarms can: 1. repeatedly react to non-obstructed light gradients that undergo repeated direction-changes and do so in a consistent way, 2. find their way to a light source within maze-like arrangements made from small transparent obstacles, 3. move as a swarm around extended transparent barriers, following a light gradient. This paper focuses on the recognition of whole-swarm behaviors, the description thereof and the recognition of differences in whole-swarm movements comparing non-obstructed swarming with swarms encountering obstacles. Investigations of the within-swarm behaviors of individual Artemia nauplii and their interactions with neighboring nauplii are in progress, e.g. in order to discover the underlying swarming algorithms and differences thereof comparing non-obstructed vs. obstructed pathways.