| Autor: |
Guanting, Su, Robert, Dudley, Tianyu, Pan, Mengzong, Zheng, Liansong, Peng, Qiushi, Li |
| Rok vydání: |
2019 |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
The Journal of experimental biology. 223(Pt 14) |
| ISSN: |
1477-9145 |
| Popis: |
Maximum whole-body force production can influence behavioral outcomes for volant taxa, and may also be relevant to aerodynamic optimization in microair vehicles. Here, we describe a new method for measuring maximum force production in free-flying animals, and present associated data for the wandering glider dragonfly. Flight trajectories were repeatedly acquired from pull-up responses by insects dropped in mid-air with submaximal loads attached beneath the center of body mass. Forces were estimated from calculations of the maximum time-averaged acceleration through time, and multiple estimates were obtained per individual so as to statistically facilitate approximation of maximum capacity through use of the Weibull distribution. On a group level, wandering glider dragonflies were here estimated to be capable of producing total aerodynamic force equal to ∼4.3 times their own body weight, a value which significantly exceeds earlier estimates made for load-lifting dragonflies, and also for other volant taxa in sustained vertical load-lifting experiments. Maximum force production varied isometrically with body mass. Falling and recovery flight with submaximal load represents a new context for evaluating limits to force production by flying animals. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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