Locust are from the family Acrididae and they are short-horned compared to the grasshoppers. One thing that the locust are popularly known for is that they migrate in swarms. They have formed plagues over the years, which made the ancient Egyptians carve them on their tombs.

The fascinating thing about the locust is that when migrating in swarms, they are as much as about 80 million per square kilometer. Yet, they don't collide with each other. This caught the attention of scientists as it made them research deeper to know how it's possible.

Research shows that behind the eyes of a locust is a motion-sensitive neuron. This neuron is referred to as the lobula giant movement detector (LGMD). It helps in detecting and sending messages to the wings and legs of the locust when a collision is imminent, prompting the locust to act quickly.

This awesome feature has been mimicked by scientists in the development of computerize system in cars, enabling cars to avoid collision with objects.

Reference

• Locust
• The neuron lobula giant movement detector