Collaborative Research: Hydrodynamic and Muscular Mechanical Investigation of Maneuverability in Cephalopods throughout Ontogeny

鱿鱼和乌贼都是令人印象深刻的游泳运动员，它们有能力盘旋，迅速改变方向，甚至可以轻松地前后游。它们在机车上的能力的关键是它们脉冲喷射、拍打着的鳍和灵活的手臂之间的协调，但目前人们对这些单位在这些动物的一生中如何协同工作知之甚少，因为它们遇到了不同的物理环境，发育变化，经历了不同的生态系统。这个项目的重点是了解不同发育阶段(从幼体到成体)的鱿鱼和墨鱼，喷气、鳍和手臂如何协同工作，产生必要的力量，在肌肉能力和水动力学方面进行特殊的转弯。这项工作将涉及尖端的3D流动可视化方法、高速视频分析和先进的数学工具，以突出高性能转弯的基本组件。该项目承诺(1)促进我们对高度机动性的海洋动物如何在其复杂的栖息地中航行的理解，(2)揭示关键的性能特征、结构和行为，这些特征、结构和行为可以潜在地整合到机械生物启发系统的设计中，例如自主水下机器人，以提高它们的转弯/对接能力。该项目包括一些外联项目，包括在当地学校进行示范，参加机器人竞赛，开发网上教程和夏令营，以及在水族馆和博物馆演讲。水环境中的机动是日常游泳的重要组成部分，熟练的机动对于躲避捕食者、捕获猎物和导航至关重要。尽管它很重要，但对机动行为的生物力学的理解是有限的。本文对三种形态不同的头足类的机动性能进行了研究。这项研究探索了三个广泛的问题：(1)在成年头足类动物中，鳍、臂和漏斗-喷射复合体是如何协同使用以最大限度地提高转弯性能的；(2)转弯速度和转弯半径的相对重要性是否会随着个体发育的变化而变化，年轻头足类动物中观察到的转弯模式是否更少；(3)鳍、手臂和漏斗肌肉骨骼力学是否会随着个体发育的变化而变化，这种变化是否与机动方式的差异有关？这些问题将通过收集尾流的3D高速运动学和2D/3D流体动力学的测量数据来解决；执行数学分析以定量地识别和分类转弯模式；并测量在转弯和喷射矢量过程中驱动运动的肌纤维的动态被动和主动长度-力关系和最大缩短速度。拟议的工作将：(1)提供关于具有生态重要性的海洋动物如何协调其新型双模系统(喷气和鳍)和手臂以实现高转弯性能的数据；(2)突出转弯的基本运动学和流体动力学元素；(3)提供关于机动能力如何在广泛的个体发生范围内变化的见解；以及(4)提供关于肌肉静水器官的肌肉特性及其在转弯中的作用的新数据。

Squids and cuttlefishes are impressive swimmers, having the ability to hover, change direction rapidly, and even swim forward and backward with ease. The key to their locomotive prowess is coordination among their pulsed jet, flapping fins, and flexible arms, but little is presently known about how these units work together throughout these animals' lives as they encounter different physical environments, change developmentally, and experience dissimilar ecosystems. This project focuses on understanding how the jet, fins, and arms operate in concert to produce the necessary forces for exceptional turning, both in terms of muscle capabilities and hydrodynamics, in squid and cuttlefish of different developmental stages (hatchlings to adults). This work will involve cutting edge 3D flow visualization approaches, high-speed video analysis, and advanced mathematical tools that highlight the essential components of high-performance turns. This project promises to (1) advance our understanding of how highly maneuverable marine animals navigate through their complex habitats and (2) reveal key performance characteristics, structures, and behaviors that can be integrated potentially into the design of mechanical bio-inspired systems, such as autonomous underwater vehicles, to improve their turning/docking capabilities. This project incorporates a number of outreach projects, including demonstrations in local schools, participation in robotics competitions, development of web-based tutorials and summer camps, and presentations at aquariums and museums. Maneuvering in the aquatic environment is a significant component of routine swimming, with proficient maneuvering being essential for predator avoidance, prey capture, and navigation. Despite its importance, understanding of the biomechanics of maneuvering behaviors is limited. An investigation of maneuvering performance in three morphologically distinct species of cephalopods is proposed here. The investigation explores three broad questions: (1) how are the fins, arms, and funnel-jet complex used in concert to maximize turning performance in adult cephalopods; (2) do the relative importance of turning rate and turning radius change over ontogeny and are fewer turning modes observed in young cephalopods; and (3) do fin, arm, and funnel musculoskeletal mechanics change over ontogeny and are such changes associated with differences in maneuvering? These questions will be addressed by collecting measurements of 3D high-speed kinematics and 2D/3D hydrodynamics of wake flows; performing mathematical analyses to quantitatively identify and categorize turning patterns; and measuring both the dynamic passive and active length-force relationship and maximum shortening velocity of muscle fibers that drive the movements used during turning and jet vectoring. The proposed work will: (1) provide data on how an ecologically important marine animal coordinates its novel dual-mode system (jet and fins) and arms to achieve high turning performance, (2) highlight the essential kinematic and hydrodynamic elements of turns, (3) offer insights into how maneuvering capabilities change over a broad ontogenetic range, and (4) provide novel data on the muscle properties of muscular hydrostatic organs and their role in turning.