Fly Hearing Mechanism a Model for Future UAV Capabilities Published May 21, 2009 By Maria Callier Air Force Office of Scientific Research ARLINGTON, Va. -- Dr. Miao Yu, an AFRL-funded professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, is using the hearing mechanism of flies as a model for researching miniature acoustic sensors and sound localization techniques. The research could benefit the Air Force by leading to the development of an "artificial fly"--more specifically, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) with the combination of hearing and vision necessary for navigating otherwise inaccessible locations. Dr. Yu's research contributions could also result in micro air vehicles and UAVs with improved homing capabilities. Dr. Yu and her team found that the fly ear is optimally structured for receiving the best acoustic directional cues at 5 kHz. Further, they discovered the feasibility of replicating both the ear's natural design and its performance in order to continue learning more about the mechanism. The researchers also leveraged the laboratory environment to develop an optical detection technique that, while impervious to noise, heightens the sensitivity of their replicated hearing system. The team is presently working to determine how best to formulate design and implementation guidelines for the bioinspired miniature acoustic sensors, because the technology's current use is based on large-scale microphone arrays. The key premise of this research is to obtain--and thoroughly test--an understanding of how a pair of mechanically coupled ears, spaced just 500 microns apart, achieves effective sound localization. The next step is to fully implement the acquired knowledge as a fly-ear-inspired sensor platform and then study the miniaturized system's performance with regard to detection and localization. Eventually, similarly based acoustic networks could exist for communications between UAVs and underwater vehicles. The expectation is that ongoing research will also spark advances in the areas of micro-opto-electro-mechanical system fabrication, optical sensors, and system-on-a-chip platforms, all of which promise significant impact for the next generation of AF flight vehicles.