Acquisition and amplitude-coded translation of Manduca sexta biopotentials into discrete computer inputs.
Neuromuscular coupling · conditioned voltage acquisition · host-side command decoding
This demonstrator examines a biohybrid architecture in which a moth-derived signal is conditioned, digitized and translated into host-computer commands. A continuous voltage record is evaluated for signal availability and transient amplitude. Two output modes are considered: selection within a three-state command space and discrete pointer activation. The 900 s record contains one intermediate-amplitude selection and one high-amplitude activation, separated by intervals of quiescent activity and interrupted coupling.
AWAITING CLASSIFICATION
Synchronized performance stream · all viewers follow the same server timeline. Archived signal segments are replayed for the production; this is not a live biological measurement.
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Amplitude-dependent classification
with mode-gated output.
The transient at t = 236.0 s enters the intermediate classification band. With the selection gate enabled, the decoder assigns the event to command state 02.
Figure 2a. Local peak-deviation record and corresponding command assignment. State labels describe the software mapping, not inferred cognitive intent.
The transient at t = 662.0 s exceeds the 0.10 V classification threshold. In activation mode, the receiver resolves this event as a single pointer command.
Figure 2b. Local peak-deviation record surrounding the activation event. A refractory interval suppresses repeated commands from a single transient.
Manduca sexta provides the biological platform for this screen demonstrator. Its architecture combines a recording pathway with a conceptual biofuel-cell power pathway, extending the moth–electronics coupling explored in the literature.
Project repository ↗Electrode–tissue coupling and differential amplification provide the proposed biopotential readout.
A conditioned activity envelope is digitized through the ADS1115–Raspberry Pi pathway and retained as a time-indexed record.
Mode-dependent thresholds resolve the transient into a selection state or a pointer-activation command.
The moth arrangement described by Schwefel et al. employs a trehalose/oxygen biofuel cell. Enzyme-modified electrodes convert chemical energy in the hemolymph into electrical energy, supplying a low-power oscillator and a nearby wireless receiver link. The anode and cathode constitute the energy-harvesting interface; dental wax restrains the specimen during bench measurements. [1]
Separate moth–machine studies have demonstrated recording of flight-muscle potentials through implanted microprobes. [2] Here, that recording concept is extended into an amplitude decoder. Thresholds of 0.02, 0.06 and 0.10 V define the low, intermediate and high bands after conditioning. The 5 Hz export is a reporting record, rather than a spike-resolved electromyogram.
The archive comprises 630 s of available signal and 270 s of unavailable samples across eight interruptions. These intervals are represented explicitly to separate transient classification from loss of acquisition. The recorded host responses occur within available-signal windows.
ARCHIVE history/mosquito_usage_15min.csv
PLATFORM Manduca sexta / conceptual biohybrid demonstrator
Production research prop. The moth-input experiment and combined architecture are fictional, using the existing synthetic history for cinematic presentation. References provide scientific context; they do not report the selections or clicks shown here. No live moth measurements are represented.