Swimming Like a Ray
Manta rays are amazing and efficient swimmers โ a necessity for any large animal that survives on tiny plankton. Researchers have built a new soft robot inspired by swimming mantas. Like its biological inspiration, the robot flaps its pectoral fins much as bird flaps its wings; this motion creates vortices that push water behind the robot, propelling it forward. For a downstroke, air inflates the robotโs body cavity, pushing the fins downward. When that air is released, its fins snap back up. With this simple and energy efficient stroke, researchers are able to control the robotโs swimming speed and depth, allowing it to maneuver around obstacles. Flapping faster helps the robot surface, and slower flapping allows it to sink. (Living manta rays also sink if they slow down.) Check out the robot in action below. (Image credit: J. Lanoy; video and research credit: H. Qing et al.; via Ars Technica)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXB9Ip7qa0o
#biology #biophysics #biorobotics #flapping #fluidDynamics #mantaRay #physics #science #swimming
rays flapping...
rays flapping...
Rolf Mueller is Lynn Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech and directs the @ubdvtlab. He has studied bat biosonar from the perspectives of biophysics and bioinspired engineering for over 20 years. His research aims to meet the sensory information needs of autonomy in complex natural environments.
Listen to our chat here: https://robottalk.org/2024/01/12/episode-68-rolf-mueller/
๐ข New Episode Alert!
This week, @claireasher chats to Dr. Rolf Mueller from Virginia Tech and @ubdvtlab about biomimicry, flapping-wing flight, sensing and artificial intelligence.
Listen now: http://robottalk.org/2024/01/12/episode-68-rolf-mueller/
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