Integrative biomechanics of marine organisms: locomotor systems dynamics

我的比较和综合生物力学研究项目解决了生物体如何在系统和结构水平上处理物理挑战的一般问题。我们的目标是发现大自然的工程解决方案，以便更好地了解动物是如何工作的，并为未来生物启发设备的设计做出贡献。这项提议继续了运动系统的生物力学方面的努力。1.水上推进系统。我们将继续研究为鱼类快速、持续游泳提供动力的解剖学和机械学特化，以了解肌肉骨骼系统在不同游泳状态下的表现，特别是最大限度的表现。重点将放在糖酵解肌肉的三维分析上，糖酵解肌肉构成身体的大部分，用于突击和快速游泳。这项研究的目的是在进化的背景下探索运动的自然设计，以及帮助设计推进式水上设备。2.须鲸的游泳和摄食。使用从放置在游泳的蓝鲸、长须鲸和座头鲸上的数据记录器收集的运动学数据，我们将分析和模拟地球上最大的生物力学事件--大鲸的突进进食。我们的目标是了解这一活动的机械过程和能量成本，并考虑这种大规模的觅食行为可能如何允许或限制这些生物的进化。3.鱼类和鲸鱼的水翼月形尾巴的设计。我们将研究不同形态的月形尾巴产生的推力模式，使用模型上的直接力测量以及流动可视化来量化尾迹特征。这样做将使我们能够比较游泳效率，并制定出可用于推动机器人设备的鳍的最佳设计方案。

My research program on comparative and integrative biomechanics addresses the general question of how organisms deal with physical challenges at the level of systems and structures. Our aim is to discover nature's engineering solutions in order to better understand how animals work, and to make contributions to future design of bio-inspired devices. This proposal continues efforts in biomechanics of locomotor systems. 1. Aquatic propulsive systems. We will continue studies on anatomical and mechanical specializations that power fast, continuous swimming in fishes to understand how musculo-skeletal systems perform in different swimming regimes, particularly maximal performance. Emphasis will be on three-dimensional analyses of glycolytic muscle that comprises the bulk of the body and is used during burst and fast swimming. The goal of this research is to explore natural design for locomotion in an evolutionary context as well as to aid in the design of propulsive aquatic devices. 2. Swimming and feeding in baleen whales. Using kinematics data collected from data recorders placed on swimming blue, fin and humpback whales we will analyze and model the largest biomechanical event on earth, lunge feeding in the great whales. We aim to understand the mechanical process and the energetic cost of this activity, and consider how such large-scale feeding behaviour may have allowed or set limits to the evolution of these creatures. 3. Design of hydrodyfoil lunate tails in fish and whales. We will study the pattern of thrust forces generated by lunate tails of differing morphology, using direct force measurements on models as well as flow visualization to quantify wake characteristics. Doing so will allow us to compare swimming efficiencies and also to formulate design optima for fins that could be used to propel robotic devices.