A water tunnel study of the effect of spanwise flexibility on the thrust, lift and propulsive
efficiency of a rectangular wing oscillating in pure heave has been performed. The thrust …

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the effect of aspect ratio on the wake topology
and hydrodynamic performance of thin ellipsoidal flapping foils. The study is motivated by …

THERE is a wish to build miniature aircraft known as micro air vehicles (MAVs) for which
numerous applications have been cited. One example is to relay video pictures from the …

An immersed boundary method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in irregular
domains is developed using a local ghost cell approach. This method extends the solution …

Animal propulsors such as wings and fins bend during motion and these bending patterns
are believed to contribute to the high efficiency of animal movements compared with those of …

Conducting polymer actuators based on polypyrrole are being developed for use in
biorobotic fins that are designed to create and control forces like the pectoral fin of the …

A full understanding of the mechanics of locomotion can be achieved by incorporating
descriptions of (1) three-dimensional kinematics of propulsor movement,(2) material …

SUMMARY A biorobotic pectoral fin was developed and used to study how the flexural
rigidities of fin rays within a highly deformable fish fin affect the fin's propulsive forces. The …

Here, we present a suite of photogrammetric methods for reconstructing insect wing
kinematics, to provide instantaneous topographic maps of the wing surface. We filmed …

Fish are remarkable in their ability to maneuver and to control their body position. This ability
is the result of the coordinated movement of fins which extend from the body and form …