3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Comparative Biomechanics refers to the mechanics of biological organisms, including both humans and many non-human organisms. This course introduces the biomechanical principles of organism morphology, function, and interactions with their environment, as well as how these principles have inspired useful engineering devices. There is an emphasis on both the diversity of natural and artificial biomechanical systems and the underlying unifying principles. Many interesting topics will be discussed. Some examples include: Why can a mouse falling from a skyscraper walk away with little injury, but a horse will smash? Why do horses walk at low speeds but run at higher speeds? Can T-Rex run? Why do larger animals become more erect in their leg posture? How do geckos adhere to almost any surface? Can we learn from it to create a spider man? How can fleas jump to hundreds times of their body height? How does a chameleon shoot out its tongue to catch bugs? Why do British archers use the yew trees to make long bows? What other functions can muscles serve besides doing work? Why do animals need lungs for ventilation and a heart for blood circulation? How do prairie dogs get fresh air into their nest underground? How can giraffes drink by bending their head down to the ground without blowing their brains out, with a large blood pressure required to pump blood up when their head is up? Why do many tiny organisms have hairs? How do water striders walk on water and how do Jesus Christ lizards run on water? Can humans run on water? Students from ME and other departments are welcome. Students are assumed to be familiar with introductory physics. Although this is an upper lever undergraduate and graduate course, freshman and sophomore undergraduate students with sufficient physics background may take it with instructor approval. Closely-related course: EN.530.475/675. Locomotion I: Mechanics. Visit https://li.me.jhu.edu/teaching for more information.