Related papers: Towards a facile method to protect shorelines
Sampling-based methods such as Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRTs) have been widely used for generating motion paths for autonomous mobile systems. In this work, we extend time-based RRTs with Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) to generate,…
It is likely that unambiguous habitable zone terrestrial planets of unknown water content will soon be discovered. Water content helps determine surface land fraction, which influences planetary weathering behavior. This is important…
We derive a minimal continuum model to investigate the hydrodynamic mechanism behind the fingering instability recently discovered in a suspension of microrollers near a floor [Driscoll et al. Nature Physics, 2016]. Our model, consisting of…
In this work we study the generation of water waves by an underwater sliding mass. The wave dynamics are assumed to fell into the shallow water regime. However, the characteristic wavelength of the free surface motion is generally smaller…
Nature is an inhabitant for enormous number of species. All the species do perform complex activities with simple and elegant rules for their survival. The property of emergence of collective behavior is remarkably supporting their…
The leaves of many plants are superhydrophobic, a property that may have evolved to clean the leaves by encouraging water droplets to bead up and roll off. Superhydrophobic surfaces can also exhibit reduced friction and liquids flowing over…
Molecules at the air-water interface often form inhomogeneous layers in which domains of different densities are separated by sharp interfaces. Complex interfacial pattern formation may occur through the competition of short- and long-range…
Vegetation in semi-arid environments self-organizes into striking spatial patterns -- bands, spots, labyrinths, and gaps -- with characteristic wavelengths on the order of tens to hundreds of meters. Existing reaction-diffusion models…
Interfaces are a most common motif in complex systems. To understand how the presence of interfaces affect hydrophobic phenomena, we use molecular simulations and theory to study hydration of solutes at interfaces. The solutes range in size…
The ocean vast unexplored regions and diverse soft-bodied marine organisms have spurred interest in bio-inspired underwater soft robotics. Recent advances have enabled new capabilities in underwater movement, sensing, and interaction.…
Growing experimental evidence shows that cell monolayers can induce long-lived perturbations to their environment, akin to footprints, which in turn influence the global dynamics of the system. Inspired by these observations, we propose a…
Marine invasive species spread through global shipping and generate substantial ecological and economic impacts. Traditional risk assessments require detailed records of ballast water and traffic patterns, which are often incomplete,…
Experimental observation of a new mechanism of sandpile formation is reported. As a steady stream of dry sand is poured onto a horizontal surface, a pile forms which has a thin river of sand on one side flowing from the apex of the pile to…
Sampling-based motion planners perform exceptionally well in robotic applications that operate in high-dimensional space. However, most works often constrain the planning workspace rooted at some fixed locations, do not adaptively reason on…
Ecosystems around the world are at risk of critical transitions due to increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Yet it is unclear where the risks are higher or where in the world ecosystems are more vulnerable. Here I measure…
These are notes that I compiled while studying the equations of long-range groundwater flow for my first paper. By "long-range," I mean horizontal distances that are significantly greater than the vertical thickness of the aquifer, in…
Short-scale interactions yield large-scale vegetation patterns that, in turn, shape ecosystem function across landscapes. Fairy circles, which are circular patches bare of vegetation within otherwise continuous landscapes, are…
We tackle the question of how anisotropy in flows subject to background rotation favours structures elongated along the rotation axis, especially in turbulent flows. A new, wave-free mechanism is identified that challenges the current…
The physics of air-water interfaces plays a central role in modern theories of the hydrophobic effect. Implementing these theories, however, has been hampered by the difficulty of addressing fluctuations in the shape of such soft…
Environmental contours are tools frequently used in the early design of marine structures. They provide a description of critical design conditions and serve as a means for simplifying expensive long-term response calculations. Here, we…