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In contrast to animals with stiff skeletons, soft-bodied animals have no easily defined joints. They can move in any plane by crumpling, rotating and bending. These movements are partly coordinated by central pattern generators but must also use information about body position and presumably involve internal tissue displacements and fluid movements. It is not known how such movements affect locomotion. This project will build on previous results from kinematic studies of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, to measure the forces exerted during multi-legged crawling and to identify how such animals use pressure during movement. Because soft-bodied animals constitute some of the most prevalent and successful terrestrial species, the results of these studies are expected to contribute to our understanding of animal movements and to the construction a new type of climbing and burrowing robot. Students involved in these research projects will work with a neuroethologist and will use a state-of the art motion analysis systems at the Tufts Biomimetic Devices Laboratory. |
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Intro Bio
Calculus preferred |
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Independently responsible for the project aims
Routine Lab Duties |
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| Neurobiology |
| Biomechanics |
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