Move like an octopus: Underwater propulsion from a 3-D printer
Monday, July 22, 2013 - 21:50
in Astronomy & Space
Octopods, which are also known as octopuses or squid, generally move along the ocean floor with their eight arms, they flee by swimming head-first, in line with the principles of propulsion. When the mollusk does this, water is taken into its mantle, which is then closed by contracting sphincter muscles. The water is then squirted back out at a high pressure through a funnel. The resulting propulsion pushes the octopus forward in the opposite direction. By changing the position of the funnel, the octopus can precisely steer its direction of travel. For researchers this intelligent propulsion principle served as a role model for the development of an underwater propulsion system.