When passive structures, or actuated robotic systems are exposed to fluids, the interactions and the dynamic coupling between the body and the environment can lead to behaviours which are complex, variable, stochastic and hard to predict. Yet, these behaviours can also be highly advantageous to the system. Examples of this can be seen in nature, with many biological systems exploiting morphology when interacting with fluids. This includes rotating sycamore seeds, the structure of fish fins, and even the forms of large plants/trees which in certain environments have evolved to resist wind damage. Here morphology aids the functionality of the system across different physical scales and Reynolds number. Morphology can also pre-determine or program certain behaviours. In the case of passive systems, such as seeds, morphology can determine specific emergent behaviours. Thus, exploring morphology in fluidic environments can increase our understanding of biology systems and aid the development of robots.
However, understanding and exploring the role of morphology can be challenging due to the large range of possible forms, and the challenges in representing and exploring these high dimensionality spaces. This leads to some fundamental challenges which must be addressed to fully leverage and understand the contributions of morphology in fluid environments. This Research Topic seeks to explore these questions, challenges and more. This includes exploration of morphology for robotic applications, and more widely, research that seeks to further our understanding of the effect of morphology on these fluid-body couplings and interactions.
When passive structures, or actuated robotic systems are exposed to fluids, the interactions and the dynamic coupling between the body and the environment can lead to behaviours which are complex, variable, stochastic and hard to predict. Yet, these behaviours can also be highly advantageous to the system. Examples of this can be seen in nature, with many biological systems exploiting morphology when interacting with fluids. This includes rotating sycamore seeds, the structure of fish fins, and even the forms of large plants/trees which in certain environments have evolved to resist wind damage. Here morphology aids the functionality of the system across different physical scales and Reynolds number. Morphology can also pre-determine or program certain behaviours. In the case of passive systems, such as seeds, morphology can determine specific emergent behaviours. Thus, exploring morphology in fluidic environments can increase our understanding of biology systems and aid the development of robots.
However, understanding and exploring the role of morphology can be challenging due to the large range of possible forms, and the challenges in representing and exploring these high dimensionality spaces. This leads to some fundamental challenges which must be addressed to fully leverage and understand the contributions of morphology in fluid environments. This Research Topic seeks to explore these questions, challenges and more. This includes exploration of morphology for robotic applications, and more widely, research that seeks to further our understanding of the effect of morphology on these fluid-body couplings and interactions.