Science / Technology - Colloquium
Monday, March 31, 2008
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Olin Hall
107
Snakes propel themselves over land using a variety of techniques, including sidewinding, lateral sinuous slithering and a unidirectional accordion-like mode. We explore these friction-based propulsion mechanisms through a combined experimental and theoretical investigation. Particular attention is given to classifying the gaits of snakes according to Froude number and the relative magnitudes of the frictional forces in the tangential and normal directions. In a simple kinematic model, we prescribe the waveform of the snake and calculate its motion as required by the torque and force balances on its body. A key feature of our model is that it allows us to rationalize the snake's gait on the basis of speed and mechanical efficiency. We also provide a historical survey of our previous work on the propulsion of water-walking insects.
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by: WPI Physics Department, Dr. Stephan Koehler
Suggested Audiences: College
E-mail:
sak@wpi.edu
Phone: 508-831-5090
Last Modified: March 21, 2008 at 2:47 PM
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