Biology subjects

Heydari, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Heydari, S..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Soft skeletons transmit force with variable gearing

A hydrostatic skeleton allows a soft body to transmit muscular force via internal pressure. A humans tongue, an octopus arm, and a nematodes body illustrate the pervasive presence of hydrostatic skeletons among animals, which has inspired the design of soft engineered actuators. However, there is a need for a theoretical basis for understanding how hydrostatic skeletons apply mechanical work. We therefore model the shape change and mechanics of natural and engineered hydrostatic skeletons to determine their mechanical advantage (MA) and displacement advantage (DA). These models apply to a variety of biological structures, but we explicitly consider the tube feet of a sea star and the body segments of an earthworm, and contrast them with a hydraulic press and a McKibben actuator. A helical winding of stiff, elastic fibers around these soft actuators plays a critical role in their mechanics by maintaining a cylindrical shape, distributing forces throughout the structure, and storing elastic energy. In contrast to a single-joint lever system, soft hydrostats exhibit variable gearing with changes in MA generated by deformation in the skeleton. We found that this gearing is affected by the transmission efficiency of mechanical work (MA x DA) or, equivalently, the ratio of output to input work), which changes with the capacity to store elastic energy within helically wrapped fibers or associated musculature. This modeling offers a conceptual basis for understanding the relationship between the morphology of hydrostatic skeletons and their mechanical performance.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2024

Mapping Spatial Patterns to Energetic Benefits in Groups of Flow-coupled Swimmers

The coordinated motion of animal groups through fluids is thought to reduce the cost of locomotion to individuals in the group. However, the connection between the spatial patterns observed in collectively moving animals and the energetic benefits at each position within the group remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we study the spontaneous emergence of cohesive formations in groups of fish, modeled as flapping foils, all heading in the same direction. We show in pairwise formations and with increasing group size that (1) in side-by-side arrangements, the reciprocal nature of flow coupling results in an equal distribution of energy re-quirements among all members, with reduction in cost of locomotion for swimmers flapping inphase but an increase in cost for swimmers flapping antiphase, and (2) in inline arrangements, flow coupling is non-reciprocal for all flapping phase, with energetic savings in favor of trailing swimmers, but only up to a finite number of swimmers, beyond which school cohesion and energetic benefits are lost at once. We explain these findings mechanistically and we provide efficient diagnostic tools for identifying locations in the wake of single and multiple swimmers that offer op-portunities for hydrodynamic benefits to aspiring followers. Our results imply a connection between the resources generated by flow physics and social traits that influence greedy and cooperative group behavior.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2023

Interpretable and Generalizable Strategies for Stably Following Hydrodynamic Trails

Aquatic animals offer compelling evidence that flow sensing alone, without vision, is sufficient to guide a swimming organism to the source of an unsteady hydrodynamic trail. However, the sensory feedback strategies that allow these remarkable trail tracking abilities remain opaque. Here, by integrating mechanistic flow simulations with reinforcement learning techniques, we discovered two simple and equally effective strategies for hydrodynamic trail following. Though not a priori obvious, these strategies possess parsimonious interpretations, analogous to Braitenbergs simplest vehicles, where the agent senses local flow signals and turns away from or toward the direction of stronger signals. A rigorous stability analysis shows that the effectiveness of these strategies in robustly tracking flow currents is independent of the type of sensor but depends on sensor placement and the traveling nature of the flow signal. Importantly, these results inform a suite of versatile strategies for hydrodynamic trail following applicable to both vortical and turbulent flows. These insights support the future design and implementation of adaptive real-time sensory feedback strategies for autonomous robots in dynamic flow environments.

biophysics↗