Meeting Abstract
The fruits of R. ciliatiflora launch disk shaped seeds that travel at speeds over 10 m/s with a rotation rate that exceeds 1 kHz. By analyzing the trajectories of these seeds with a high speed camera we have learned that they fly with significant lift and almost no drag. To understand the mechanism for this remarkable behavior we create 3D printed models of these seeds to test in a flume or tow tank with particle image velocimetry. The results of these analysis should shed insight into the mechanism by which the seeds are able to use air to generate a lift that exceeds its weight while not producing significant drag on the projectile. The results from these studies should also help to guide future work on the comparative analysis of flights among the Acanthacea, which has over 2000 species with exploding fruits that grow in a wide range of ecosystems.
