Studying swimming animals.

Ian Bartol, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the study “A new integrated quantitative metrics approach for identifying coordinated gaits in swimming animals”.  For this project, Dr. Bartol is leading a collaborative team that includes Dr. Paul Krueger (Southern Methodist University) and Dr. Joseph Thompson (Franklin and Marshall College).

For the large and diverse group of aquatic animals that use multiple propulsors for swimming, simultaneously quantifying both the motion of the propulsors and the resulting fluid flow is not trivial, requiring new technologies and approaches. The goal of this NSF project is to develop a novel 3D approach for studying swimming animals. The team will focus on squid, a marine swimmer that employs two separate but coordinated propulsive systems (jets and fins).  The integrated approach involves several emerging methods in the fields of biology, mathematics, and engineering, including a cutting edge 3D flow quantification technique, known as defocusing digital particle image velocimetry (DDPIV); high-speed, high-resolution videography; and new mathematical algorithms for quantitatively distinguishing between hydrodynamic and kinematic patterns based on their physical features. The methods will be combined in a novel way to collect unique 3D data sets, identify transitions in 3D wakes and 3D body motions, and correlate these transitions with salient measures of propulsive performance for the purpose of quantitatively identifying coordinated gaits in swimming animals.

This research holds great promise for developing a universal framework for gait identification in any swimmer or flyer, especially those employing multiple systems/propulsors, and thus may potentially transform current methods for studying locomotion.  Beyond the field of biology, the approach promises to provide a valuable framework for engineers of bioinspired propulsion systems, who may be seeking improved propulsive performance in compact designs similar to what nature offers.