快猫成版视频

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 22, 2020

It turns out humans can learn something from animals when it comes to engineering.

A laboratory in 快猫成版视频鈥檚 focuses on how animals negotiate complex water flows to help humans in their design of vessels such as autonomous underwater vehicles and propulsive systems that can navigate unsteady flow environments, like rainfalls or rivers.

鈥淲e鈥檙e interested not only in how nature solves problems through the process of natural selection, but in how we might learn from that to improve engineering designs,鈥� said professor of biology Christopher Sanford. 鈥淏y looking at how fish swim and how natural selection might have improved swimming efficiency and movement, we can help rapidly advance how robots move underwater in challenging environments.鈥�

One example is the ghost knifefish, a popular domestic fish, which Sanford and his team of researchers in KSU鈥檚 department of are studying to learn how it easily negotiates complex flows despite its thin stature.

The researchers discovered that knifefish do three things that help them feed and navigate in fast flowing waters. First, their suction feeding behavior is so powerful it can vaporize water. Second, knifefish use multiple fins in different ways to navigate complex flows. Finally, knifefish are able to efficiently navigate narrow passages with ease and without creating adverse drag that would hold them back.

鈥淲e did some experiments showing that these fish can move through turbulent waters,鈥� researcher Victor Ortega-Jimenez said. 鈥淚n a small water tunnel, we mimic different flow environments that demonstrate knifefish are very good at moving efficiently in such complex flows.鈥�

Ortega-Jimenez joined the lab in March 2019 after several years studying how animal fliers deal with adverse flow environments, such as dust devils, rain or waterfalls. Recently, he published a research on how small insects and hummingbirds are limited by size in passing through lab-created cascades. He suggested from this study that swifts can protect their chicks from small bloodsucking insects by nesting behind waterfalls. 

Ortega-Jimenez said he joined the lab in part to expand his knowledge, adding fish that swim through complex flows to his existing expertise in birds that fly through wet and turbulent environments. But he also wanted to conduct experiments in Sanford鈥檚 lab because it has equipment that can investigate three-dimensional flow, allowing researchers to better understand movement through those flows.

鈥淣ot all labs have this technology,鈥� Ortega-Jimenez said. 鈥淚 came here because of all the possibilities of experimentation, and because of my interest in complex fluids. I鈥檝e been working with insects skimming the water surface, and now I'm exploring what happens with fish swimming, taking into account how these movements are affected by this complexity of the water flow.鈥�

Sanford credits Ortega-Jimenez, who has a website and YouTube channel dedicated to his research, with the importance of being able to communicate to the general public in a way that they can understand how important scientific discovery is.

鈥淭he one area where scientists must do a better job is communicating to a broader audience,鈥� Sanford said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that we have a long way to go in that regard, and Victor鈥檚 video and photo expertise can certainly help bridge that gap.鈥�

As an educator, Ortega-Jimenez said it鈥檚 important to meet students where they are, so making the material relatable through video fulfills that goal.

鈥淰ideo material is a great way to explain science while engaging students, as well as reaching a broader audience,鈥� Ortega-Jimenez said. 鈥淔or almost all of my research papers, I have created short videos summarizing my findings that I upload to my webpage and my YouTube channel.鈥�

Sanford said humans can use their understanding of movement and shape in animals to help accelerate the development of more efficient machines or robots that can navigate, for example, shipwreck sites in salvage missions or drones that can conduct search-and-rescue missions in storms. In fact, one area of research elaborates specifically on the ghost knifefish鈥檚 suction aspects, though Sanford said the possibilities are endless when it comes to applying animal movements to human-engineered robots.

鈥淪uccessful examples are everywhere and as technology, miniaturization, and artificial intelligence advances it will become integral to improving the quality of life for everyone,鈥� Sanford said. Once you start looking at natural systems, there鈥檚 so many cool aspects to it, be they fish ascending 300-foot waterfalls or birds flying through waterfalls in order to get to another location. How do organisms navigate through treacherous conditions? I think it鈥檚 cool because there are so many neat examples out there of extreme designs.鈥�

鈥� Dave Shelles

Photos by David Caselli

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 快猫成版视频 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 快猫成版视频 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 快猫成版视频 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.