In this paper, we present a set of geometric principles for understanding and optimizing the
gaits of drag-dominated kinematic locomoting systems. For systems with two shape …

In this paper, we present a geometric variational algorithm for optimizing the gaits of
kinematic locomoting systems. The dynamics of this algorithm are analogous to the physics …

A recent promising technique for robotic micro-swimmers is to endow them with a
magnetization and apply an external magnetic field to provoke their deformation. In this …

Locomotion for many articulated mechanical systems and animals is achieved through cyclic
changes in shapes called gaits. In this paper we extend the geometric variational algorithm …

We study the efficiency of sliding locomotion for three-link bodies with prescribed joint angle
motions. The bodies move with no inertia, under dry (Coulomb) friction that is anisotropic …

A swimmer embedded on an inertialess fluid must perform a non-reciprocal motion to swim
forward. The archetypal demonstration of this unique motion-constraint was introduced by …

In this article we provide a comparative geometric and numerical analysis of optimal strokes
for two different rigid links swimmer models at low Reynolds number: the copepod swimmer …

In this letter, we analyze two optimal control problems for the scallop: a two-link swimmer
that is able to self-propel changing dynamics between two fluids regimes. We address and …

Many animals and robots move through the world by coupling cyclical changes in shape
called gaits to an interaction with the environment. Because mobility is an important aspect …

Many previous studies of sliding locomotion have assumed that body inertia is negligible.
Here we optimize the kinematics of a three-link body for efficient locomotion and include …