From the fluid motion of fish and elegant propulsion of jellyfish, to the shape-adapting capabilities of an octopus, nature's creatures have remarkable bio-mechanical capabilities that can offer technical solutions to many of today's most complex challenges, according to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Engineering Assistant Professor Tianlu Wang.
Wang's fundamental biomechanics research has allowed him to develop groundbreaking innovations—bio-inspired soft robots that can serve as cutting-edge tools in addressing persisting healthcare, sustainability and industrial challenges. By decoding how small aquatic animals move and function efficiently through hard-to-reach, fluid environments, Wang's tiny soft robots mimic these traits, enabling them to maneuver with similar grace and resilience through environments such as delicate underwater ecosystems or the human body.
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Biomechanical robots
More than 90% of marine life is smaller than 10 centimeters, and their locomotion techniques are marvels of efficiency and adaptability. From larval zebrafish to jellyfish, these creatures display soft-bodied locomotion, large deformations and shape adaptations that Wang's lab research has captured and translated into robotic performance. By capturing wake flow patterns and studying fluid-structure interactions of these tiny creatures, Wang's team was able to mimic these biomechanical actions to improve propulsion, momentum and efficiency in robotic movement.
One example is a robotic swimmer he created that emulates larval zebrafish by using a uniform stiffness distribution and an oscillating magnetic field to reproduce energy-efficient, silent swimming.
"Such insights don't just make for better robots, they can help biologists understand the fundamental biomechanics of animal life, and hopefully inspire new collaborations between engineers and marine biologists to better understand and replicate these remarkable organisms to create solutions for everyday life," said Wang.
For more on the marine conservation potential and innovation for island communities as a result of Wang's research, see this Noelo story . Noelo is UH's research magazine from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation .
The post Bio-inspired breakthroughs: Engineering solutions from nature first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News
