Bat Wing Super Sensors Allow Them to Fly with Breathtaking Precision (VIDEO)

Scientists have learned a bit more about how bats fly-and it all has to do with their sense of touch. It turns out that bat wings are equipped with highly sensitive touch sensors that respond to even slight changes in airflow.

"Until now no one had investigated the sensors on the bat's wing, which allow it to serve as more than a propeller, a flipper, an airplane wing or any simple airfoil," said Cynthia F. Moss, one of the senior authors of the new study, in a news release. "These findings can inform more broadly how oranisms use touch to guide movement."

In this latest study, the researchers looked at the big brown bat, a common species that can be found throughout North America. Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered flight, and are able ot reach speeds that range from 7 to 20 mph.

First, the researchers discovered an array of sensory receptors in bat wings-a significant number of which are clustered at the base of tiny hairs that cover the appendages. That placement of these touch cells allow the bat to sense changes in airflow as air ruffles the hairs.

Investigating a bit further, the scientists stimulated these hairs with brief air puffs. Neurons in the bat's primary somatosensory cortex responded with precisely timed but sparse bursts of activity. This suggests that this circuitry helps guide bats during fast flight.

The findings reveal a bit more about how bats use sensory information to fly with precision in the dark and catch prey midair. This information could eventually help people design air vehicles that better negotiate obstacles by sensing and adjusting to air turbulence.

The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.

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