Thank the universe this creature is so small #Dragonfly #BioMaxing #Biomechanics #Biomimicry

Thank the universe this creature is so small, because if the engineering inside it were your size, then... Welcome to the third episode of Biomexing, a series where we meet the ultimate beasts of every habitat. Meet the dragonfly, nature's mechanical masterpiece. A lion catches its prey roughly 25%of the time. A dragonfly catches around 95%. This is one of the

highest hunting success rates ever recorded, and its secret isn't speed. A dragonfly doesn't chase; it calculates. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus showed that the dragonfly steers by using a model that predicts its prey's movement. A circuit of just 16 neurons transmits the target's direction from the brain straight to

the wing muscles. It doesn't fly to where the insect is. It flies to where the insect is going to be. In milliseconds. And then there are its wings; they aren't just for flying. The dragonfly can control them independently. With their help, it can hover. Fly backward and change direction mid-air. Meaning it doesn't

just have wings. It has a built-in flight control system. But wait. Its engineering isn't limited to just the air. A dragonfly spends the early part of its life underwater, and even at that stage, it's a better engineer than most of us. Its mouthpart can shoot out and snatch prey almost instantly. Researchers at Germany's Kiel

University found that it works like two spring-loaded catapults. Each of which loads independently, and both fire at the same time. Researchers were so impressed by this that they built a robotic jaw based on this design. But catching prey isn't enough. It also has to move. That’s why it has a built-in jet engine. And yes, exactly where you