Coordination in Coupled Arrays of Stiff Filaments—Modelling and Simulation

摘要

We present the mechanical model of an array of elastic filaments and simulate the response with different mechanical couplings. This class of systems is inspired by robust and elegant solutions for locomotion mechanics that have emerged in several small-scale biological entities in the form of beating protrusions, such as cellular cilia and eukaryotic flagella. The collective dynamics of cilia arrays reveals important features such as array alignments, two-phase asymmetric beating of individual filaments, and the emergence of metachronal coordination, which make them suitable for bio-inspired terrestrial and aquatic locomotion. The model presented here is the basis for further developments towards the design of terrestrial and aquatic locomotion systems for general purpose robotic devices.