How Do Ants Move? (BioE80 Spr2015).
May 27, 2015 • 1:01 PM UTC
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My fifth grade teacher compared an ant’s exoskeleton to a knight in shining armor: both had a very tough exterior that could withstand repeated trauma with little damage. However, I later learned that a knight’s armor was incredibly heavy and inflexible, making him the Middle Ages’ equivalent of a modern-day tank. An ant, in comparison, is incredibly flexible and lightweight, seemingly unencumbered by its armor. Why is this?
We found an ant and put it on a slide to examine it under our new Foldscope. We focused on the ant’s legs, joints between the different body segments, and mouthparts, taking pictures of these different parts to document our findings. We found that the ant’s exoskeleton is incredibly well made and has joints similar to those in a human skeleton. Many of the different segments, such as those on the legs, have overlapping segments that fold over one another, much like an armadillo. This design seems to offer both flexibility and strength, two attributes highly sought after in mechanical engineering.
An ant’s exoskeleton clearly has mechanical advantages over many (if not all) humanoid-like walking machines. Ant anatomy should be studied by more than just biologists for its incredibly lightweight yet strong design. One day our machines may be made with biological materials rather than steel if we are able to replicate ant anatomy.
We found an ant and put it on a slide to examine it under our new Foldscope. We focused on the ant’s legs, joints between the different body segments, and mouthparts, taking pictures of these different parts to document our findings. We found that the ant’s exoskeleton is incredibly well made and has joints similar to those in a human skeleton. Many of the different segments, such as those on the legs, have overlapping segments that fold over one another, much like an armadillo. This design seems to offer both flexibility and strength, two attributes highly sought after in mechanical engineering.
An ant’s exoskeleton clearly has mechanical advantages over many (if not all) humanoid-like walking machines. Ant anatomy should be studied by more than just biologists for its incredibly lightweight yet strong design. One day our machines may be made with biological materials rather than steel if we are able to replicate ant anatomy.
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