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The hydrodynamics of water strider locomotion

Author

Listed:
  • David L. Hu

    (Department of Mathematics)

  • Brian Chan

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering MIT)

  • John W. M. Bush

    (Department of Mathematics)

Abstract

Water striders Gerridae are insects of characteristic length 1 cm and weight 10 dynes that reside on the surface of ponds, rivers, and the open ocean1,2,3,4. Their weight is supported by the surface tension force generated by curvature of the free surface5,6, and they propel themselves by driving their central pair of hydrophobic legs in a sculling motion7,8. Previous investigators have assumed that the hydrodynamic propulsion of the water strider relies on momentum transfer by surface waves1,9,10. This assumption leads to Denny's paradox11: infant water striders, whose legs are too slow to generate waves, should be incapable of propelling themselves along the surface. We here resolve this paradox through reporting the results of high-speed video and particle-tracking studies. Experiments reveal that the strider transfers momentum to the underlying fluid not primarily through capillary waves, but rather through hemispherical vortices shed by its driving legs. This insight guided us in constructing a self-contained mechanical water strider whose means of propulsion is analogous to that of its natural counterpart.

Suggested Citation

  • David L. Hu & Brian Chan & John W. M. Bush, 2003. "The hydrodynamics of water strider locomotion," Nature, Nature, vol. 424(6949), pages 663-666, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:424:y:2003:i:6949:d:10.1038_nature01793
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01793
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    Cited by:

    1. Haobo Xu & Yimin Zhou & Dan Daniel & Joshua Herzog & Xiaoguang Wang & Volker Sick & Solomon Adera, 2023. "Droplet attraction and coalescence mechanism on textured oil-impregnated surfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Alberto Giacomello & Carlo Massimo Casciola & Yaroslav Grosu & Simone Meloni, 2021. "Liquid intrusion in and extrusion from non-wettable nanopores for technological applications," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 94(8), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Minseok Gwon & Dongjin Kim & Baekgyeom Kim & Seungyong Han & Daeshik Kang & Je-Sung Koh, 2023. "Scale dependence in hydrodynamic regime for jumping on water," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Hakan Gürsu, 2024. "An Affordable System Solution for Enhancing Tree Survival in Dry Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-32, July.

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