kab
June 11th, 2009, 06:31 PM
Today's TED-talk blew my mind.
http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_full_learning_from_the_gecko_s_tail.html
It shows how scientists who were studying gecco-feet unintentionally ended up discovering new facts about how gecco's use their tails, and maybe even how birds started flapping their wings.
Through their study of the feet and trying to engineer robots using the principles that allow geccos to walk up walls, they discovered that their prototype robot could only do it if it had a tail. This led them to study how the gecco used the tail as a fifth leg, something that had never before been studied. This in turn led them to think "what happens if the gecco is walking upside-down?"...
They then viewed a gecco falling from a leaf on high-speed video, and it turns out that the gecco uses a whipping tail-motion to flip mid-air. This is similar to how the cat always lands on it's feet, just a lot faster, again, up until that point unknown animal behaviour. Then they even tried to see if the gecco would be able to glide to another tree.
When viewed in a wind-tunnel, not only did the gecco use it's tail to steer mid-air, but it also flapped the tail to move forwards. We all know that birds evolved from lizards, perhaps their flight evolved from this practise of steering and flapping between tree-branches?
I love seeing things like this, how the most incredible discoveries are often complete accidents. =)
http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_full_learning_from_the_gecko_s_tail.html
It shows how scientists who were studying gecco-feet unintentionally ended up discovering new facts about how gecco's use their tails, and maybe even how birds started flapping their wings.
Through their study of the feet and trying to engineer robots using the principles that allow geccos to walk up walls, they discovered that their prototype robot could only do it if it had a tail. This led them to study how the gecco used the tail as a fifth leg, something that had never before been studied. This in turn led them to think "what happens if the gecco is walking upside-down?"...
They then viewed a gecco falling from a leaf on high-speed video, and it turns out that the gecco uses a whipping tail-motion to flip mid-air. This is similar to how the cat always lands on it's feet, just a lot faster, again, up until that point unknown animal behaviour. Then they even tried to see if the gecco would be able to glide to another tree.
When viewed in a wind-tunnel, not only did the gecco use it's tail to steer mid-air, but it also flapped the tail to move forwards. We all know that birds evolved from lizards, perhaps their flight evolved from this practise of steering and flapping between tree-branches?
I love seeing things like this, how the most incredible discoveries are often complete accidents. =)