Biolocomotion
Tsevi Beatus, John Guckenheimer and Itai Cohen,
The Journal of the Royal Society Interface 12, 20150075 (2015) PDF
Flocks of birds and schools of fish are two common examples of collective motion. Though herding behavior in animals is well recognized, humans exhibit their own set of emergent phenomena. For example, pedestrians walking down the sidewalk form lanes, and stadium crowds perform "The Wave".
How do insects solve the problem of keeping stable in the face of unpredictable disturbances, such as gusts of wind? We devised a way to study insect flight control and stability by experimentally “tripping” insects in flight!