Related papers: A Microscopic Mechanism for Muscle's Motion
The contact mechanics of individual, very small particles with other particles and walls is studied using a nanoindenter setup that allows normal and lateral displacement control and measurement of the respective forces. The sliding,…
This paper introduces a way to systematically investigate the effect of compliant prismatic spines in quadrupedal robot locomotion. We develop a novel spring-loaded lockable spine module, together with a new Spinal Compliance-Integrated…
Experiments on the motion of a particle on an inclined rough plane have yielded some surprising results. For example, it was found that the frictional force acting on the ball is viscous, {\it i.e.} proportional to the velocity rather than…
In cells, organelles and vesicles are usually transported by cooperation of several motor proteins, including plus-end directed motor kinesin and minus-end directed motor dynein. Many biophysical models have been constructed to understand…
High-speed motions in pick-and-place operations are critical to making robots cost-effective in many automation scenarios, from warehouses and manufacturing to hospitals and homes. However, motions can be too fast -- such as when the object…
Numerical simulations in two space dimensions are used to examine the dynamics, transport, and equilibrium behaviors of a neutrally buoyant circular object immersed in an active suspension within a larger closed circular container. The…
Mechanical interactions between rigid rings and flexible cables find broad application in both daily life (hanging clothes) and engineering systems (closing a tether-net). A reduced-order method for the dynamic analysis of sliding rings on…
Soft machines typically exhibit slow locomotion speed and low manipulation strength because of intrinsic limitations of soft materials. Here, we present a generic design principle that harnesses mechanical instability for a variety of…
There is increasing evidence that mammalian cells not only crawl on substrates but can also swim in fluids. To elucidate the mechanisms of the onset of motility of cells in suspension, a model which couples actin and myosin kinetics to…
Soft robots are made of compliant materials and perform tasks that are challenging for rigid robots. However, their continuum nature makes it difficult to develop model-based control strategies. This work presents a robust model-based…
Slithering, crawling, slipping, gliding are various modes of limbless locomotion that have been mimicked for micro-manipulation of soft, slender and sessile objects. A lesser known mode is rolling which involves periodic, asymmetric and…
We report on the dynamics of a model frictional system submitted to minute external perturbations. The system consists of a chain of sliders connected through elastic springs that rest on an incline. By introducing cyclic expansions and…
We study the motion of the system, S, constituted by a rigid body, B, containing in its interior a viscous compressible fluid, and moving in absence of external forces. Our main objective is to characterize the long time behavior of the…
The complex ways in which humans utilize their bodies in sports and martial arts are remarkable, and human motion analysis is one of the most effective tools for robot body design and control. On the other hand, motion analysis is not easy,…
Musculoskeletal modeling and simulations enable the accurate description and analysis of the movement of biological systems with applications such as rehabilitation assessment, prosthesis, and exoskeleton design. However, the widespread…
We develop a fast technique based on the generalized slow roll (GSR) approach for computing the curvature bispectrum of inflationary models with features. We show that all triangle configurations can be expressed in terms of three simple…
The musculoskeletal humanoid has various biomimetic benefits, and the redundant muscle arrangement is one of its most important characteristics. This redundancy can achieve fail-safe redundant actuation and variable stiffness control.…
Template models are frequently used to simplify the control dynamics for robot hopping or running. Passive limit cycles can emerge for such systems and be exploited for energy-efficient control. A grand challenge in locomotion is trunk…
More than a dozen young stars host spiral arms in their surrounding protoplanetary disks. The excitation mechanisms of such arms are under debate. The two leading hypotheses -- companion-disk interaction and gravitational instability (GI)…
While musculoskeletal humanoids have the advantages of various biomimetic structures, it is difficult to accurately control the body, which is challenging to model. Although various learning-based control methods have been developed so far,…