What is it about?
Have you ever wondered how manta rays glide so effortlessly through water? Scientists are studying their swimming patterns to improve underwater robots. This research looks at how small changes in movement—like adjusting the way fins move up and down—can make swimming more efficient. By tweaking these motions, robots can use less energy while moving faster. The findings could help design better underwater vehicles for exploring the ocean, conducting research, or even carrying out search-and-rescue missions. Nature has already figured out efficient swimming—now, technology is catching up!
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Why is it important?
The ocean is vast and full of mysteries, but exploring it efficiently is a challenge. Underwater robots are used for deep-sea research, environmental monitoring and even search-and-rescue missions. However, many of these robots struggle with energy efficiency, limiting how long they can operate. By studying how manta rays move, scientists have found a way to make underwater vehicles swim more efficiently, using less power while generating more thrust. This means future underwater robots could last longer, travel farther and move more smoothly—helping us explore and protect the ocean in smarter ways. Learning from nature could lead to big advances in technology!
Perspectives
Watching manta rays glide through the ocean is mesmerising—they move with such grace and efficiency. It’s fascinating to see how nature has already perfected the art of swimming, and this research has deepened my appreciation for bio-inspired engineering. Understanding how small asymmetries in movement can improve efficiency opens up exciting possibilities for the future of underwater technology. I believe that by learning from marine life, we can design smarter, more sustainable ocean exploration tools. This study is just one step towards bridging the gap between nature and engineering, and I look forward to seeing how these insights shape the next generation of underwater robots.
Dr Bluest Lan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Enhancing underwater unmanned vehicle efficiency through asymmetric dynamics in manta-like swimming, Physics of Fluids, October 2024, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0229833.
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Resources
Optimising Motion for Underwater Vehicles: What Nature Already Knows
Balancing thrust and energy efficiency: Optimized asymmetric flapping inspired by batoid locomotion
AI-Powered Approach to Understanding Flapping Wing Aerodynamics
A Neural Network Approach to Estimate Transient Aerodynamic Properties of a Flapping Wing System
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