The work seeks toward further developing a novel robotic platform capable of stable three legged locomotion. This will be accomplished by creating a robust and adaptable robotic platform capable of executing different walking strategies and taking multiple continuous steps. Previous iterations of this platform have been developed, all of which have used a single gait strategy. This study will seek to develop two new strategies. The first of which is a modification of the original strategy with theoretically improved gate robustness. A second strategy will seek to implement more advanced control techniques to create a fully stable balanced gait. / Master of Science

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Wing polyphenism in insects is a type of phenotypic plasticity where environmental factors trigger the development of a set of discrete wing morphologies. In the water strider Gerris buenoi, photoperiods are the main environmental cue that trigger wing morph determination. The genetic mechanisms connecting environmental cues and the determination of wing morph in G. buenoi are not clear. However, recent experimental work suggests that engagement of the Hippo pathway via ecdysone signalling is a promising model for further investigation. In this study, a reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) protocol was developed, aimed at elucidating this potential transduction pathway by quantifying gene expression of Fat, Dachsous, Yorkie, EcR, E75 and E74. This was done using melt curve analysis, gel electrophoresis, sequencing of RT-qPCR products and qPCR standard curves. Additionally, wing morph distribution in extreme and intermediate photoperiods were examined. Wing morph proportions were significantly different between adults emerging in the intermediate photoperiods 15.30:8.30 and 15:9 (hours light : hours dark). An effect of sex was observed, with a higher probability of males becoming long-winged compared to females. This has likely evolved as a result of a dispersal-reproduction trade-off. Taken together, this study provided insight for future investigations of periodically induced wing morph determination and its genetic mechanisms in G. buenoi that will contribute to the understanding of phenotypic plasticity.