Interfacial propulsion by directional adhesion
Name
Bush_Interfacial propulsion.pdf
Size
2.89 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
17d3dd4e263838e8df6d4d76527df39b
Author(s)
Prakash, Manu
Bush, John W. M.
Date Issued
December 2010
Journal
International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Prakash, Manu, and John W.M. Bush. “Interfacial Propulsion by Directional Adhesion.” International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics 46, no. 4 (May 2011): 607–615.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
The rough integument of water-walking arthropods is well-known to be responsible for their water-repellency [1], [2], [3] and [4]; however, water-repellent surfaces generally experience reduced traction at an air–water interface [5], [6], [7] and [8]. A conundrum then arises as to how such creatures generate significant propulsive forces while retaining their water-repellency. We here demonstrate through a series of experiments that they do so by virtue of the detailed form of their integument; specifically, their tilted, flexible hairs interact with the free surface to generate directionally anisotropic adhesive forces that facilitate locomotion. We thus provide new rationale for the fundamental topological difference in the roughness on plants and water-walking arthropods, and suggest new directions for the design and fabrication of unidirectional superhydrophobic surfaces.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2010.12.003
