Measuring How Insects Walk on Water for Future Water-Skimming Robots
Water striders' ability to walk and jump on water surfaces has long inspired robot designers who want to mimic the insects' talent. Now, scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Tribology at Tsinghua University in China have measured for the first time key parameters that allow them to walk on water - by studying their leg shadows. The findings could contribute to designs for water-skimming robots. The researchers placed a white sheet of paper at the bottom of a lab aquarium housing water striders and installed a light source above the water. The insects' straight legs cast shadows that were rounded, representing the curvature of the water and the expelled water volume from which the floating force and weight can be calculated. From these measurements, the striders' slightest shifts in weight and body angle could be detected for the first tme.
Transcript
00:00:00 many animals from spiders to some dolphins have mastered the ability to walk on water but water striders probably rank among the most studied insect for this particular trait and these creatures still mystify researchers now scientists have measured for the first time key parameters that help explain the seemingly gravity defying Talent using a trick of their
00:00:20 own studying the bug's leg Shadows their study appears in the ACs journal langere to find out how water striders are able to walk on water scientists need to measure the upward force of water that buoys the insects but gauging such a slight force is almost impossible using conventional techniques such as atomic Force microscopy so researchers from singu University in China used an
00:00:43 unconventional method analyzing the Shadows cast by the insect's legs the Shadows are rounded representing changes to the water's surface caused by the weight of the water striders measuring the Shadows allowed the researchers to calculate the buoyant force they also determined for the First Time The Strider shifts in Weight and Body angle in real time in
00:01:04 addition to lending insight into the Critter's movement the study could help Engineers design water walking robots