[alert]Mantodeas, or commonly known as “mantises”, are the only known invertebrate species with 3D perception, which was first demonstrated in the 1980s using prisms and occlusion devices, which only support a limited number of images.[/alert]
Scientists, in an effort to deepen their understanding of this particular species, decided to expand the research by conducting tests with mantids in which they wore tiny 3D glasses!
Researchers at Newcastle University published the results of their research in Scientific Results and shared hilarious photos with the public.
For the experiment, a tiny “cinema” was set up, and after the mice were put on special 3D glasses, their reaction to the 3D images was studied. The trick worked, but only with a specific type of glasses.
Initial tests used modern, circularly polarized 3D glasses, but the tests were unsuccessful. The researchers then tried using older glasses with “analog” lenses – the classic red and blue lenses that come with 3D comics – and noticed that the mantids reacted to the images.
The most successful tests were carried out with green and blue lenses – as mantids cannot perceive red light well – and an LED screen with “unusually low output in the green and blue wavelengths”.
In each type of test, the insects were placed on platforms and shown images of a gray object on a bright background. The results? When they were shown 2D images, the mantises remained still. When the image changed to 3D, the mantises reacted when they saw their “prey,” which appeared to be coming out of the screen and coming toward them.
The experiment not only confirms that mantids have 3D perception, but that they can be stimulated with digital images that appear to be in 3D. The team also believes that this research, which strengthens scientists' understanding of perception, could be used to create new algorithms for 3D depth perception in computers.
