Robot Fiddler Crab 'Wavy Dave' Helps Study Sexual Displays

Robot fiddler crab 'Wavy Dave' helps study sexual displays

Wavy Dave and a fiddler crab waving their claws. Credit: Joe Wilde Scientists from the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) at the UK’s University of Exeter used an unconventional approach to study the bizarre sexual behaviours of male fiddler crabs. Their robot crab, nicknamed “Wavy Dave”, mimics how male fiddler crabs compete over females – waving a singular oversized claw around in the air to entice them into their burrows. The team…

Crab vs. machine: Robot tests fiddler crab courtship tactics

Researchers test fiddler crab mating strategies by introducing a robot with a waving claw, dubbed “Wavy Dave.” CNN speaks to one of the scientists about the study and some surprising moments caught on camera.

Robot Crab Meets Terrible Fate When Its True Nature Is Discovered by Real Crab

Scientists apparently underestimated the aggression of itty-bitty male fiddler crabs when they deployed a friendly robot version during mating season. In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, animal behavior researchers from the UK's University of Exeter detailed the embarrassing end to their experiment with "Wavy Dave," a 3D-printed, Bluetooth-controlled crab-bot trained to wave at its fellow crustaceans. Known fo…