Why Flies Hit Windows: Insect Navigation Simulator

Drag ☀️ Sun or 🪟 Window Glass. Click arena to steer/spawn.

Experimental Preset Scenarios

Insect Species Profile

Phototactic Drive 0.85

Visual Deterrent Grid 0 cm

Aperture Escape Gap 0%

Sensory Telemetry

Collisions / Min

Loop Frequency

2.4 Hz

Mean Recoil Angle

38.5°

Escape Success

Primary Failure Mechanism: Positive phototaxis overriding tactile recoil due to open-sky luminance cue behind transparent glass.

Biophysical Heuristics

Compound Eyes & Glass: Insects navigate via open-sky cues (dorsal light response) and optic flow divergence. Because glass transmits 90%+ visible light with minimal visual texture, compound ommatidia detect no looming optical cues until physical collision triggers an uncoordinated tactile recoil.

The Endless Loop: Following recoil, strong positive phototaxis instantly re-orients the insect toward the sunlit horizon, overriding mechanical memory within ~400ms.