News Neuroscience Tiny treadmills show how fruit flies walk The flies easily hit speeds of 50 millimeters a second but would not walk backwards Play the video Made of simple belts, pulleys and motors and covered with a nonstick enclosure, this tiny treadmill enables scientists to study fruit flies as they walk normally. Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Laura Sanders April 17, 2024 at 9:30 am The runner on the treadmill wasn’t your typical gym rat. For one thing, he kept sprinting to the front of the treadmill and riding it to the back.