Soutenance de François Schweitzer
| When |
Nov 05, 2026
from 02:00 to 04:00 |
|---|---|
| Where | Amphi Anne L'Huillier |
| Attendees |
François Schweitzer |
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Insect flapping flight is both a valuable model for studying animal locomotion and a source of inspiration for the development of bio-inspired aerial systems. Yet how flying insects adapt to variations in gravitational loading remains poorly understood. This thesis investigates the response of freely flying butterflies to altered gravity using laboratory experiments and parabolic flights aboard the Airbus A310 ZERO-G.
A system based on nine synchronised event-based cameras was developed to reconstruct three-dimensional body and wing kinematics at high temporal resolution. For Heliconius charithonia, the reconstructed kinematics were used as input to CFD simulations, which were then used to calibrate a quasi-steady aerodynamic model.
Across the different gravity conditions, increasing gravitational loading was associated with slower and more spatially constrained flight, larger-amplitude wing motions and higher wing angular velocities, as well as increased aerodynamic force and power, while wingbeat timing and frequency remained comparatively robust. The response transitioned from constraint release in microgravity to load compensation in hypergravity. Comparison with Greta oto revealed both shared gravity-dependent responses and species-specific adaptations. These results provide a new experimental and physical description of flapping-flight adaptation to altered gravity.