Image processing assisted locomotion observation of cockroach <i>Blaptica Dubia</i>

Abstract

High-speed camera recordings are very useful for analysis of animal behaviors. However, in earlier studies, the analysis has to be conducted by manually extracting data from video, which is not only time-consuming but also subjective. In this work, we developed a new method of movement tracking for an easy locomotion observation, and applied this method to the motion analysis of the cockroach, Blaptica Dubia. Image processing algorithms were developed to extract information of points of interest on cockroaches, which was implemented in two steps: identification and tracking. With the developed method, experiments were conducted focusing mainly on velocity, gait and stability. The results showed the feasibility of the new method for more intensive locomotion observation with applications in walking robots.