Searching in Complex environments

Abstract

Most motile organisms have to navigate in complex varying environments to find food, locate mates and escape predators. The quality of sensing and response to external stimuli constitutes a basic element in the selective per-formance of living organisms. Search strategies have to match the environments statistical properties while beingcomputable by the organism.We will discuss search strategies at 3 scales : µm> mm with E.coli,mm-> cm with drosophila larval and cm -> m with both Red Palm Weevil and robotic searches. We will show chemotaxis in micro fluidically controlled chemical fields and discuss chemotactic filters properties. We will discuss Drosphila larvae dynamical behaviour invirtual environments. We will combine live behaviour classication with optogenetic neural activation (chrimson)s to test larval decision making. We will discuss similarities with bacterial chemotactic strategies and also show how toplay multi-arm bandit game with larvae. We will especially focus on an interesting asymmetry in escape strategy.Finally, we will discuss searching in turbulent environments with limited space perception. We will show how to record odour path on insects trajectories and discuss the unexpected walking strategy of the red palm Weevil in response to its gathering pheromone