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Appendages in separated fluid flows become unstable, causing sideways drift. This passive locomotion mechanism, similar to an inverted pendulum, explains how organisms and objects move without active control.

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Area of Science:

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Biomechanics
  • Physics of locomotion

Background:

  • Many biological appendages (feathers, fins, hairs) facilitate locomotion.
  • These appendages often interact passively with surrounding fluids for motion generation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the passive locomotion mechanism of objects with protrusions in separated fluid flows.
  • To explain the instability of appendages in fluid flow and their sideways stabilization.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling
  • Experimental validation
  • Numerical simulations

Main Results:

  • An object with a protrusion in separated flow exhibits sideways drift.
  • This drift is driven by a symmetry-breaking instability, analogous to an inverted pendulum.
  • The straight appendage position is inherently unstable, leading to stabilization left or right of the flow.

Conclusions:

  • A novel passive locomotion mechanism in separated flows has been identified.
  • This mechanism explains sideways drift and stabilization of appendages.
  • It is a plausible explanation for passive movement in organisms like plumed seeds and motile animals.