aerodynamics | Biomechanics in the Wild

Dune’s Ornithopters: Future or Fantasy?

Thousands of fans stormed to theaters over the first weekend of March 2024 to watch Denis Villaneuve’s highly anticipated Dune: Part 2. Incredible sci-fi visuals filled the big screen, including the fascinating Ornithopter, an aircraft that flies like a dragonfly. With so many modern aircraft inspired by biological flight, what makes insect-like flight, characterized by rapid flapping movements, difficult to engineer?

Model of an Ornithopter, a sci-fi aircraft created by *Dune* author Frank Herbert that resembles a dragonfly.

This question drove my fascination with insect wings and their unique biomechanical properties. They can perform complex aerial maneuvers, remain stable in turbulent environments, and sustain long flight times—all with tiny, delicate wings. We’ll dive into the mechanical and biological factors that make this possible and explore how understanding insect flight paves the way for possible engineering applications such as micro air vehicles (MAVs).

Ski Racing: Where Champions are Made on the Course and in the Lab

If you have ever watched the winter Olympics, you have probably watched in awe as the alpine ski racers flew down the course. Years of training to perfect technique and build strength are essential for any athlete trying to compete with the best, but in a sport where hundredths of a second can separate first and second place, racers are always looking for ways to shave time. Understanding the forces that slow them down and their relationship to body positioning gives these athletes a competitive advantage.

How to Optimize Biomechanics Forces of Olympic Giant Slalom Skiers

Do you ever wonder what differentiates a casual skier from an Olympic level skier? The distinction lies in the immense forces these Olympic skiers’ output as they naturally transition from incredibly high speeds to sharp turns on the icy slopes. The four famous alpine skiing events held at the Winter Olympics are the slalom, giant slalom, downhill, and super-G events. In these events the human body is pushed to its limit with skiers experiencing forces of up to 2000N during turns through closely spaced poles and gates. Which is the equivalent of a 440-pound weight laying on top of you. These forces are integral in achieving faster times, better technique, and winning Olympic gold. How can these forces and techniques be optimized for the best possible ski run?

Staying airborne: How bird wings are built for aerodynamic and efficient flight

Flight is a concept that has, until relatively recently in history, eluded humanity. However, birds have been successfully flying for approximately 130 million years, proving themselves to be a physical marvel of the natural world. And while our means of flight have historically been crude in design and performance, nature provides an elegant, efficient solution to get creatures off of the ground. Rüppell’s griffon vultures have been recorded flying as high as 37,000 ft, while some species of shorebirds have been recorded flying as far as from Alaska to New Zealand over eight days without stopping. But how exactly do birds seem to effortlessly overcome gravity so effectively? And perhaps more importantly, how might we apply these answers to improve manmade aircraft?

Which is more stable, washing machines or birds? The answer might surprise you

What do birds and washing machines have in common? Shockingly, it’s not the ability to wash clothes. Rather, most birds and washing machines are great examples of vibration isolation systems.

Tag: aerodynamics