Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms

Ultrafast elastocapillary fans control agile maneuvering in ripple bugs and robots

This paper studies the agile maneuvering of ripple bugs and develops a robotic fan inspired by their elastocapillary mechanisms, showing improved thrust and turning capabilities.

Body oscillations reduce the aerodynamic power requirement of wild silkmoth flight

This study investigates how body oscillations in silkmoths reduce aerodynamic power requirements by altering wing rotation relative to airflow during flight.

Fish locomotor variation: connecting energetics and kinematic modulation

The paper examines how fish locomotor kinematics and energetics vary with environmental and biological factors, showing correlations between kinematic modulation and metabolic rate changes.

Rhagovelia uses interfacial run-and-tumble locomotionto improve food capture in flowing environments

This paper studies the locomotion of Rhagovelia oriander in flowing environments, finding that its run-and-tumble movement improves food capture efficiency.

Predicting Trends in Avian Wing Motion and Energetics Across Scales

This paper uses predictive models to show that profile drag drives avian flight kinematic trends across scales, explaining speed, frequency, and energy efficiency patterns.

Signatures of Motion: Decomposition of Adaptive Morphing Flight in Harris' Hawks

This study identifies four fundamental morphing shape modes in Harris' hawk flight that capture most wing and tail variation, revealing structured yet flexible adaptive strategies.

Metachronal rowing provides robust propulsive performance across four orders of magnitude variation in Reynolds number

This study examines how metachronal rowing performance scales with Reynolds number across four orders of magnitude, finding consistent Strouhal numbers and linear scaling of swimming speed with Re.

Supra-resonant wingbeats in insects

This study shows insects flap wings above their resonant frequency, revealing supra-resonance as a general principle for high-frequency flight across multiple species.

Going around the bend to understand the role of leg coalescence in metachronal swimming

This study investigates how leg coalescence and bending in shrimp reduce drag during metachronal swimming, improving thrust and swimming efficiency.

The tail of myliobatid rays controls body stability

This study shows that elongate tails in myliobatid rays increase hydrodynamic stability during gliding by generating drag and damping body oscillations.

Landing on a swinging perch: peach-faced lovebirds prefer extremes

Peach-faced lovebirds time their landings on swinging perches to the phase of motion, using a bimodal strategy to minimize landing forces and maximize stability.

Adaptive feedforward speed control in Drosophila

This study shows that Drosophila adjusts flight speed through adaptive feedforward control, not just feedback, by observing changes in speed after wing damage and antennae ablation.

Fast turns are not sped up slow turns: How bluegill sunfish change their kinematics with turn speed

This study compares the kinematics of fast and slow turns in bluegill sunfish, finding kinematic differences that suggest distinct strategies for handling torque and moment of inertia.

Wind Tunnel Study of the Forces Due to Drafting in Dolphin Mother-Calf pairs

The paper uses wind tunnel models to quantify drag reduction in dolphin mother-calf pairs during drafting, confirming theoretical predictions.

Flight power muscles have a coordinated, causal role in controlling hawkmoth pitch turns

The paper investigates how individual hawkmoth flight muscles contribute to pitch control by manipulating muscle timing, finding that single muscles do not produce precise turns, emphasizing coordination across the motor program.

Interfacial vortex recapture enhances thrust in tiny water skaters

This study investigates interfacial vortex recapture in Microvelia americana, showing how it enhances thrust through vortex re-energization and tripod gait mechanics.

Machine learning reveals the control mechanics of the insect wing hinge

The paper uses machine learning to model how insect wing hinge muscles control wing motion and aerodynamic forces.

Fly motion vision is tuned to maximize signal energy transfer between mechanical input and sensor output

The paper shows that blowfly motion vision is tuned to maximize signal energy transfer between mechanical input and sensor output, improving observability and controllability.

Intraspecific variation in the placement of campaniform sensilla on the wings of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta

The paper examines intraspecific variation in campaniform sensilla placement on hawkmoth wings, finding consistent regions but variable numbers and distributions, suggesting robustness in flight control feedback.

Nonuniform structural properties of wings confer sensing advantages

This study shows that nonuniform wing stiffness and damping improve mechanosensory feedback accuracy in insects and offer design insights for robotics.

Wing structure and neural encoding jointly determine sensing strategies in insect flight

The paper shows how wing structure and neural encoding interact to determine optimal sensing strategies for flight control in insects.

Complete neuroanatomy of dragonfly wings suggests direct sensing of aeroelastic deformations

This study maps the neuroanatomy and sensor distribution in dragonfly wings to understand how mechanosensors detect aeroelastic deformations during flight.

Optic flow helps explain gulls’ altitude control over seas

This paper shows that gulls use optic flow to control altitude during flight, with a model achieving 63% fit to GPS data.