Biomechanics and Fluid Dynamics of Amphibious Locomotion in Microvelia
Author(s)
O'Neil, Johnathan Nathaniel
Advisor(s)
Bhamla, Saad
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Abstract
This study investigates the unique locomotion strategies of Microvelia americana, an insect inhabiting the neuston layer—the interface between air and water. M. americana utilizes the alternating tripod gait, a method shared by many terrestrial insects, allowing efficient movement on both land and water. The research focuses on the biomechanics and fluid dynamics of this gait, exploring how M. americana adapts its movement across different surfaces, including land, water, and duckweed-covered water. Our study reveals that M. americana adjusts its gait and joint angles depending on the terrain, with distinct differences in leg movement on rough or heterogeneous surfaces compared to water. Ablation experiments, where we remove the tarsi, show that the middle legs act as the primary propellers for accelerating on water, while the hind legs act as the rudders, stabilizing direction. Fluid dynamics analysis further demonstrates how M. americana gains thrust by recapturing vortices created by its middle legs with their hind legs. Vortex recapture is due to the speed at which M. americana run during acceleration and leg to body ratio. These findings offer insights that could inform the design of amphibious robots and suggest future research directions in biomechanics and fluid dynamics.
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Date
2024-08-13
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Text
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Dissertation