Virtual Insects' Reality

by Klaus F. Steiner

This website contains some parts of my master thesis "Dynamik der Gesangsinteraktion bei der Laubheuschrecke Mecopoda elongata L." ("Dynamics of Calling Song Interactions in the Katydid Mecopoda elongata L."). I have done this several years lasting work at the department for zoology at the University of Graz (Austria), and was coached by Prof. Heiner Römer.
You can download my programs Kyberniidae and Coupled Oscillators. Both are free, but I would be pleased to get mail with your comments!

Biological background

Background and experimental results about calling song of the katydid Mecopoda elongata. I highly recomment to study this page before downloading and playing with Kyberniidae and Coupled Oscillators.

Kyberniidae

This DOS-program simulates and demonstrates in realtime the dynamics of song interaction between two singing grasshoppers - or more technical: of two mutually coupled nonlinear oscillators - based on experimental determined PRCs and the chirp cycle length in freerun of individuals.

Coupled Oscillators

Based on the idea of cellular automates this DOS-program simulates the spacio-temporal patterns of choirs consisting of hundreds or thousands of singing grasshoppers.
(By the way the background picture of this page is a little bit modified screenshot from Coupled Oscillators!)


Comments are highly welcome!
Mail: klaussteiner@gmx.at


Copyright 1994-1999 by Klaus F. Steiner, Page created on 1-8-1999. All rights reserved.