Cohen, N and Boyle, JH (2010) Swimming at low Reynolds number: a beginners guide to undulatory locomotion. Contemporary Physics, 51 (2). 103 - 123. ISSN 0010-7514
Abstract
Undulatory locomotion is a means of self-propulsion that relies on the generation and propagation of waves along a body. As a mode of locomotion it is primitive and relatively simple, yet can be remarkably robust. No wonder then, that it is so prevalent across a range of biological scales from motile bacteria to gigantic prehistoric snakes. Key to understanding undulatory locomotion is the body's interplay with the physical environment, which the swimmer or crawler will exploit to generate propulsion, and in some cases, even to generate the underlying undulations. This review focuses by and large on undulators in the low Reynolds number regime, where the physics of the environment can be much more tractable. We review some key concepts and theoretical advances, as well as simulation tools and results applied to selected examples of biological swimmers. In particular, we extend the discussion to some simple cases of locomotion in non-Newtonian media as well as to small animals, in which the nervous system, motor control, body properties and the environment must all be considered to understand how undulations are generated and modulated. To conclude, we review recent progress in microrobotic undulators that may one day become commonplace in applications ranging from toxic waste disposal to minimally invasive surgery.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2010, Taylor & Francis. This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article submitted for consideration in Contemporary Physics [copyright Taylor & Francis]; Contemporary Physics is available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00107510903268381 |
Keywords: | undulatory locomotion; low Reynolds numbers regime; central pattern generator; sensory feedback; motor pattern; flagellar hydrodynamics; ellipsoidal particles; coupled oscillators; bacterial motility; neural-control; viscous-fluid; c. elegans |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Computing (Leeds) > Artificial Intelligence & Biological Systems (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mechanical Engineering (Leeds) > Institute of Engineering Systems and Design (iESD) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Jan 2014 10:21 |
Last Modified: | 15 Sep 2014 02:26 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00107510903268381 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/00107510903268381 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:77384 |