Joel Kontinen
Flea beetles can jump. Their jumping skills can outperform the forces of gravity lies in their hind legs.
They can escape a predator archers with ease. Researched counted that they could jump 30 times at that speed.
“3D reconstructions and high-speed filming data, the scientists revealed that the acceleration during the jump can reach an explosive peak of 8,650 m/s2, which is 865 times the acceleration of gravity. The peak power output of the hind legs of the beetle peaked at 2.24 × 105 W/kg (per unit mass). This is about 450 times the capabilities of the fastest known muscle and 100~200 times that of a powerful rally car engine.”
“The fascinating and highly efficient jumping mechanism in flea beetles is described in a new research article in the open-access journal Zookeys. Despite having been known since 1929, the explosive jump – which is also the reason behind the colloquial name of this group of leaf beetles – has so far not been fully understood.”
”In conclusion, the scientists note that the catapulting jump mechanism in flea beetles is so efficient and yet so simple that it might find an excellent use in robotics, as well as in engineering and industrial installations. In their research paper, they also propose a design of a bionic limb inspired by the studied beetles.”
Biomimicry is a way that animals perform skills that humans can use in their research.
Source:
Pensoft Editorial Team, 2020, Exceptional catapulting jump mechanism in a tiny beetle could be applied in robotic limbs. Pensoft 25 February,
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