Liang Youjian, Zhao Jieliang, Yan Shaoze, Cai Xin, Xing Yibo, Schmidt Alexander
Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China.
J Insect Sci. 2019 May 1;19(3). doi: 10.1093/jisesa/iez037.
The Stewart platform is a typical parallel mechanism, used extensively in flight simulators with six degrees of freedom. It is rarely found in animals and has never been reported to regulate and control physiological activities. Now an equivalent Stewart platform structure is found in the honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis mellifera L.) abdomen to explain its three-dimensional movements. The stereoscope and scanning electron microscope are used to observe the internal structures of honeybees' abdomens. Experimental observations show that the muscles and intersegmental membranes connect the terga with the sterna and guarantee the honey bee abdominal movements. From the perspective of mechanics, a Stewart platform is evolved from the lateral connection structure of the honey bee abdomen, and the intrasegmental muscles between the sternum and tergum function as actuators between planes of the Stewart platform. The extraordinary structure provides various advantages for a honey bee to complete a variety of physiological activities. This equivalent Stewart platform structure can also be used to illustrate the flexible abdominal movements of other insects with the segmental abdomen.
斯图尔特平台是一种典型的并联机构，广泛应用于具有六个自由度的飞行模拟器中。它在动物中很少见，也从未被报道过能调节和控制生理活动。现在在蜜蜂（膜翅目：蜜蜂科：西方蜜蜂）腹部发现了一种等效的斯图尔特平台结构，以解释其三维运动。使用体视显微镜和扫描电子显微镜观察蜜蜂腹部的内部结构。实验观察表明，肌肉和节间膜将背板与腹板连接起来，保证了蜜蜂腹部的运动。从力学角度来看，斯图尔特平台是从蜜蜂腹部的侧向连接结构演化而来的，腹板和背板之间的节内肌肉充当斯图尔特平台各平面之间的驱动器。这种特殊结构为蜜蜂完成各种生理活动提供了多种优势。这种等效的斯图尔特平台结构也可用于解释其他具有分节腹部的昆虫腹部的灵活运动。
