Spiders are able to obtain information about their prey and structure by vibrating in spider webs, researchers say.
The study is part of the Oxford Silk Group, a joint research team at the Oxford Institute of Technology, and a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Mechanics and Structural Analysis at the Carlos III University of Madrid. The study results were published in the British Royal Society Interface Journal.
Studies have shown that spiders have poor visual acuity and are highly dependent on vibrations due to all the interference that occurs in the web. Using a high-performance laser, the researchers measured the ultrasonic vibrations that spread over the web while mixing these techniques, and demonstrated the link between the properties of the web and vibration.
Dr. Beth Mortimer, who led the study, conducted research using a European garden spider. She said, "The web is a multifunctional structure used for transmission of vibrations and food hunting."
Just as a bat uses echolocation to compensate for bad vision, the spider uses its web to filter and accept information around it.
