Three-dimensional tissular morphology and two-dimensional cellular characteristics for the snapping mechanism of the Venus flytrap

Bio-inspired and bio-hybrid principles are used to design robots that imitate biological systems. Animals and insects are commonly selected as the prototype because of their mobility. However, plants have been found to grow slowly and move rapidly. The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is an example of a carnivorous plant that eats insects. The mechanism underlying its rapid predation behaviour remains to be explored. This paper presents the three-dimensional(3D) morphology of the Venus Flytrap by a Laser Profiler (Keyence, LJ-X8080) at the tissular scale and two-dimensional(2D) cellular distribution by the con-focal microscope at the micro-scale. The quantitative 3D information of the plant is essential for the morphological analysis and helpful for the plantinspired robot design. 2D cellular distribution explains how plants utilize cell topology rather than muscles to deform. The exploration of the motion mechanism of the plant could inspire more multi-function and diversiform robots.