Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a tool that allows you to turn the web into a source of signals. Spiders perceive the world almost 100% through the sensation of vibrations and vibrations of the environment. Therefore, their web in reality is a complex mechanism of interaction with the world, and not at all a primitive trap.
Three-dimensional scanning allowed us to reproduce in detail the structure of the spider web and show the features of the interaction between its strands. It turned out that they all literally make sounds that differ greatly from the situation. For example, a thread can vibrate from the wind, flutter from the movements of prey, or even break if it is too large, which echoes through the rest of the web. For a spider, this is invaluable information and a guide to action.
It is clear that insects have no purpose to compose music, but the web turned out to be so harmoniously structured that its melody is born by itself if you translate vibrations into the sounds of musical instruments. Scientists see this as an opportunity to develop our knowledge in 3D printing of complex structures that will have many functions at the same time.
Source — Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
