The Biomechanics of Insect Flight

The Biomechanics of Insect Flight PDF Author: Robert Dudley
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691186340
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 497

Get Book Here

Book Description
From the rain forests of Borneo to the tenements of Manhattan, winged insects are a conspicuous and abundant feature of life on earth. Here, Robert Dudley presents the first comprehensive explanation of how insects fly. The author relates the biomechanics of flight to insect ecology and evolution in a major new work of synthesis. The book begins with an overview of insect flight biomechanics. Dudley explains insect morphology, wing motions, aerodynamics, flight energetics, and flight metabolism within a modern phylogenetic setting. Drawing on biomechanical principles, he describes and evaluates flight behavior and the limits to flight performance. The author then takes the next step by developing evolutionary explanations of insect flight. He analyzes the origins of flight in insects, the roles of natural and sexual selection in determining how insects fly, and the relationship between flight and insect size, pollination, predation, dispersal, and migration. Dudley ranges widely--from basic aerodynamics to muscle physiology and swarming behavior--but his focus is the explanation of functional design from evolutionary and ecological perspectives. The importance of flight in the lives of insects has long been recognized but never systematically evaluated. This book addresses that shortcoming. Robert Dudley provides an introduction to insect flight that will be welcomed by students and researchers in biomechanics, entomology, evolution, ecology, and behavior.

The Biomechanics of Insect Flight

The Biomechanics of Insect Flight PDF Author: Robert Dudley
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691186340
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 497

Get Book Here

Book Description
From the rain forests of Borneo to the tenements of Manhattan, winged insects are a conspicuous and abundant feature of life on earth. Here, Robert Dudley presents the first comprehensive explanation of how insects fly. The author relates the biomechanics of flight to insect ecology and evolution in a major new work of synthesis. The book begins with an overview of insect flight biomechanics. Dudley explains insect morphology, wing motions, aerodynamics, flight energetics, and flight metabolism within a modern phylogenetic setting. Drawing on biomechanical principles, he describes and evaluates flight behavior and the limits to flight performance. The author then takes the next step by developing evolutionary explanations of insect flight. He analyzes the origins of flight in insects, the roles of natural and sexual selection in determining how insects fly, and the relationship between flight and insect size, pollination, predation, dispersal, and migration. Dudley ranges widely--from basic aerodynamics to muscle physiology and swarming behavior--but his focus is the explanation of functional design from evolutionary and ecological perspectives. The importance of flight in the lives of insects has long been recognized but never systematically evaluated. This book addresses that shortcoming. Robert Dudley provides an introduction to insect flight that will be welcomed by students and researchers in biomechanics, entomology, evolution, ecology, and behavior.

On the Wing

On the Wing PDF Author: Dr. David E. Alexander
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199996776
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Get Book Here

Book Description
"On the Wing is the first book to take a comprehensive look at the evolution of flight in all four groups of powered flyers: insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats."--Book jacket.

Borne on the Wind

Borne on the Wind PDF Author: Stephen Dalton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Animal flight
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Get Book Here

Book Description


Radar Entomology

Radar Entomology PDF Author: V. Alistair Drake
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 9781845936068
Category : Entomology
Languages : en
Pages : 489

Get Book Here

Book Description
Many of the world's most serious agricultural pests are highly migratory. Through the use of special-purpose radars we are provided with insights into their movement and how they learn about and navigate through their environment. This text examines the behaviour and regional variations of these species, as well as the altitude of migration, concentration of insects in layers and how they respond to large and small-scale wind systems. The book relates radar observation of insect movement to complementary and competing methodologies and surveys its capabilities and limitations. It also deals wi

Nature's Flyers

Nature's Flyers PDF Author: David E. Alexander
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801880599
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 390

Get Book Here

Book Description
'Nature's Flyers' is a detailed account of the current scientific understanding of the primary aspects of flight in nature. The author explains the physical basis of flight, drawing upon bats, birds, insects, pterosaurs and even winged seeds.

Insects in Flight

Insects in Flight PDF Author: John Brackenbury
Publisher: Blandford Press
ISBN: 9780713725940
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book covers all the major groups of insects and their flight sequence. It describes the mechanisms of insect flight - both scientifically and in photographs and is based upon the special techniques developed by the author to capture, in flight, the diverse methods of flying that moths, butterflies and other insects employ. It contains never-before-published photographs of a whole range of insect flight.

Flying Insects and Robots

Flying Insects and Robots PDF Author: Dario Floreano
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540893938
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 319

Get Book Here

Book Description
Flying insects are intelligent micromachines capable of exquisite maneuvers in unpredictable environments. Understanding these systems advances our knowledge of flight control, sensor suites, and unsteady aerodynamics, which is of crucial interest to engineers developing intelligent flying robots or micro air vehicles (MAVs). The insights we gain when synthesizing bioinspired systems can in turn benefit the fields of neurophysiology, ethology and zoology by providing real-life tests of the proposed models. This book was written by biologists and engineers leading the research in this crossdisciplinary field. It examines all aspects of the mechanics, technology and intelligence of insects and insectoids. After introductory-level overviews of flight control in insects, dedicated chapters focus on the development of autonomous flying systems using biological principles to sense their surroundings and autonomously navigate. A significant part of the book is dedicated to the mechanics and control of flapping wings both in insects and artificial systems. Finally hybrid locomotion, energy harvesting and manufacturing of small flying robots are covered. A particular feature of the book is the depth on realization topics such as control engineering, electronics, mechanics, optics, robotics and manufacturing. This book will be of interest to academic and industrial researchers engaged with theory and engineering in the domains of aerial robotics, artificial intelligence, and entomology.

Insect Flight

Insect Flight PDF Author: J. W. S. Pringle
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 052105995X
Category : Insects
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Get Book Here

Book Description


Bioinspired Structures and Design

Bioinspired Structures and Design PDF Author: Wole Soboyejo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108963447
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Get Book Here

Book Description
Master simple to advanced biomaterials and structures with this essential text. Featuring topics ranging from bionanoengineered materials to bio-inspired structures for spacecraft and bio-inspired robots, and covering issues such as motility, sensing, control and morphology, this highly illustrated text walks the reader through key scientific and practical engineering principles, discussing properties, applications and design. Presenting case studies for the design of materials and structures at the nano, micro, meso and macro-scales, and written by some of the leading experts on the subject, this is the ideal introduction to this emerging field for students in engineering and science as well as researchers.

Biophysics of Insect Flight

Biophysics of Insect Flight PDF Author: N. Chari
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811651841
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book basically involves the study of flight parameters, wing beat frequency, moment of inertia, and wing movements for developing various aerodynamic forces which have been calculated. The book is intended for biologists, physicists, nanotechnologists, and aerospace engineers. Resilin, an elastic polymer (4 λ) which is present at the base of insect, plays a major role in Neurogenic and Myogenic insect flyers and influences the physiology of flight muscles. Leading edge vortex (LEV) is a special feature of insect flight. Insect wings have stalling angle above 60 degrees as compared to a man-made aeroplane stalling angle which is 16 degree. Reynolds number, the knowledge of LEV, and detailed study of moment of inertia help in developing flapping flexible wings for micro-aerial-vehicles. This book serves as an interface between biologists and engineers interested to develop biomimicking micro-aerial-vehicles. The contents of this book is useful to researchers and professionals alike.