![]() That’s right, the intrepid engineer wants to develop a robot with similar talents to the flic-flac and send it to space. One such application is in the field of space exploration. If replicated, Rechenberg believes that the cartwheeling abilities of the flic-flac could enable engineers to develop bigger, better robots, which could be used for an exciting range of applications. Given the remarkable abilities of these hand-springing heroes, it’s perhaps unsurprising that they have captivated the interest of engineers in the biomimetics field.Īfter witnessing these arachnids in action German engineer and biomimetics expert Dr Ingo Rechenberg was inspired to draw on their locomotive abilities to design a new breed of robot. The cartwheeling motion these spiders are masters of enables them to cover ground much faster, effectively doubling their speed from 3.3 feet per second to 6.6 feet per second. In the barren sand dunes of the desert these spiders call home, running away is pointless, after all, there’s no place to hide! This form of motion confers a considerable advantage, and is just another example of how smart nature can be. Whilst this might all seem a little bizarre, don’t let this arachnid’s antics fool you. Oh and that’s not all, not only does this spider attempt to cartwheel its way to safety, it literally flips in the face of danger too, propelling itself towards its enemies – in what we can only imagine is their attempt at Braveheart-style intimidation! That’s right, in the face of danger this arachnid performs an array of acrobatic flips that would leave most gymnasts in awe. ![]() But the flic-flac likes to employ a rather different tactic altogether – it cartwheels! Simply put, this means that they prepare to either stand their ground and fight, or run away to avoid being eaten. When threatened, most animals, spiders included, exhibit what is known as the fight or flight response. If you’re wondering why, it’s all down to this spider’s incredible locomotive abilities. This curious arachnid may look like any other spider, but looks can be deceiving, and as far as spiders go it definitely stands out from the rest. In the heart of the Chebbi desert, in Morocco, lives a creature like no other – the Cebrennus rechenbergi, affectionately known as the flic-flac spider. ![]() And now it seems that nature has answered our calls once again! For thousands of years people have been looking to nature to provide the solution to a variety of problems. Whilst in its current form biomimetics may be a relatively new field, the principle behind it is ancient. This ingenious branch of engineering is constantly discovering new and innovative ways of advancing the engineering field by relying on the lessons that can be learned from the mother of invention – nature. The fascinating field of biomimetics – biologically inspired engineering – is something we at Airedale Springs find truly captivating. ![]() The flic-flac spider can reach speeds of up to 2 m/s using forward or back flips to evade threats.Biomimetics – Cartwheeling Spider Inspires Mars robot The spider creates its dwelling with its pedipalps (feelers) and bristles, forming long, vertical tubes out of sand and silk. Using a series of rapid, acrobatic flic-flac movements of its legs similar to those used by gymnasts, the spider is able to actively propel itself off the ground, allowing it to move both down and uphill, even at a 40 percent incline. This behavior is different than other huntsman spiders, such as Carparachne aureoflava from the Namib Desert, which uses passive cartwheeling as a form of locomotion. The Moroccan flic-flac spider is nocturnal and is known to feed on moths before sunrise. It spends the hot desert days in its cool burrow in the sand protected from the sun and predators. It can jump 6.6 feet per second, enabling it to move two times faster than it can when simply walking. Cebrennus rechenbergi, one of the ten most fascinating species in 2015, can cartwheel! It belongs to the Sparassidae family of spiders that are synonymous with speed and often known as huntsmen, Nicknamed “flicflac” by Dr Peter Jager of Senckenberg Research Institute, who identified the spider, it performs acrobatic flips in the air which resemble cartwheels. A nocturnal spider native to the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco has an acrobatic solution to escape danger. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |