Meeting Abstract

2.3  Friday, Jan. 4  Different strokes for different folks: Comparing motion across and within swimming species BURTON, L.J.*; GUASTO, J.S.; STOCKER, R.; HOSOI, A.E.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology lisab@mit.edu

Modeling swimming biological systems hinges on accurately representing the shape of the system in time. We present a method of describing the complex kinematics of an organism using only a few parameters. This low-order representation of the organism’s stroke is suitable for fast and effective comparison of different motions performed by the individual, by other individuals and by other species. Using images from videos, we extract optimal basis modes in the curvature space for various species. We use this characterization of the swimmer’s shape to model and predict the swimming speed and trajectory. For a given species, we use the optimal set of basis modes to model the system in an idealized fluid environment. We find the maximum efficiency stroke for the model system and compare it to the stroke observed in situ. Studying basis modes across species allows us to rationalize biological kinematics and draw conclusions about how different organisms interact with their environment.