Toward a Fully Embodied Virtual Drosophila: Incorporating the Ventral Nerve Cord via Pinout Search

Eon Systems' virtual Drosophila uses the FlyWire brain connectome but interfaces with the body through animation controllers rather than the published ventral nerve cord (VNC) connectome. This design choice limits the model's embodiment by decoupling neural dynamics from motor output. This document outlines a search-based method to integrate the MANC VNC connectome by identifying the correct pinout mapping from descending neurons to VNC inputs. The approach is potentially tractable and represents a feasible next step toward a fully embodied virtual fly.