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

鱿鱼和乌贼是令人印象深刻的游泳者，能够盘旋，迅速改变方向，甚至轻松地向前和向后游泳。 它们的运动能力的关键是它们的脉冲喷射，拍打的鳍和灵活的手臂之间的协调，但目前对这些单位如何在这些动物的生活中共同工作知之甚少，因为它们遇到不同的物理环境，发育变化，并经历不同的生态系统。该项目的重点是了解喷气机，鳍和手臂如何协同工作，以产生必要的力量，在不同发育阶段的鱿鱼和乌贼（孵化到成年）的肌肉能力和流体动力学方面实现特殊的转弯。 这项工作将涉及先进的3D流动可视化方法，高速视频分析和先进的数学工具，突出了高性能转弯的基本组成部分。 该项目有望（1）推进我们对高度可重复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集成到机械生物启发系统的设计中，例如自主水下航行器，以提高其转向/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，开发基于网络的教程和夏令营，以及在水族馆和博物馆进行演示。在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。 尽管它的重要性，了解的操纵行为的生物力学是有限的。 本文对三种不同形态的头足类的操纵性能进行了研究。 本研究探讨了三大问题：（1）成年头足类的鳍、臂和漏斗喷流复合体是如何协同作用以最大化其转向性能的;（2）在个体发育过程中，转向速率和转向半径的相对重要性是否发生变化，以及在幼年头足类中观察到的转向模式是否较少;鳍、臂和漏斗肌骨骼力学是否随个体发育而改变，这种改变是否与操纵的差异有关？这些问题将通过收集尾流的3D高速运动学和2D/3D流体动力学的测量结果来解决;进行数学分析以定量识别和分类转向模式;测量动态被动和主动长度-力关系以及驱动转向和射流矢量期间使用的运动的肌肉纤维的最大缩短速度。 拟议的工作将：（1）提供有关具生态重要性的海洋动物如何协调其新颖的双模式系统的数据（喷气和鳍）和手臂，以实现高转弯性能，（2）突出转弯的基本运动学和流体动力学要素，（3）提供对机动能力如何在广泛的个体发育范围内变化的见解，和（4）提供了新的数据的肌肉性质的肌肉静水器官和他们的作用，在转向。

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.