Science unfolds the hidden mechanics of ladybugs’ wings
Riddle me this: What do ladybugs and origami have in common? Answer: Both involve lots of folding. In origami, it’s with paper, and in ladybugs, it’s their delicate wings.
Japanese scientists were curious to learn how ladybugs folded their wings inside their shells, so they surgically removed several ladybugs’ outer shells (technically called elytra) and replaced them with gluedon clear silicon shells so they could peer at the wings’ folding mechanism.
Why bother with such seemingly frivolous research? It turns out that how the bugs nat- urally fold their wings can provide design hints for a wide range of practical uses for humans, including satellite antennas, microscopic medical instruments and even everyday items like umbrellas and fans.
“The ladybugs’ technique for achieving complex folding is quite fascinating and novel, particularly for researchers in the fields of robotics, mechanics, aerospace and mechanical engineering,” said lead author Kazuya Saito of the University of Tokyo.
“Beetle wing folding has the potential to change the umbrella design that has been basically unchanged for more than 1,000 years,” Saito told the Telegraph.
Studies have found that upand-down movements in the bug ’s abdomen and complex, origami-like crease patterns on the wings played an important role in folding. But the way that simple motion created such an intricate folded shape had remained a mystery.
Using high-speed, slow-motion cameras, the researchers were able to capture a detailed look at the folding and unfolding wing movements. They found that the edges of the outer shell, as well as its veins, play important roles. They also found that the wings’ spring-like elastic frame — similar to a carpenter’s measuring tape — are a key step in their transformation.