WASHINGTON: Bats have always impressed scientists with their super-precise flying abilities, and a recent study shows the secret to these sharp turns and maneuvers is sensitive touch sensors in their wings that respond to the tiniest changes in airflow.
Almost a decade ago Cynthia F. Moss, professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, got involved in a project that was one of the first to look at the function of microscopic hairs on bat wings. Her research team conducted both behavioral experiments and neurophysiological recordings on a group of bats.
“From the results of this first study we concluded these microscopic hairs embedded in the bats’ wings are important for sensing airflow and play a role in flight control,” Moss told HNGN.
The researchers had bats fly in a room and monitored them using sophisticated high speed video equipment that allowed them to record flight behavior through different sets of obstacles. For phase two of the tests, they removed the tiny wing hairs using a depilatory cream, and found the bats could still fly but their flight behavior was altered.
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