Journal
SCIENCE ADVANCES
Volume 9, Issue 42, Pages -Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8284
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Researchers have discovered that the penetration mechanism of the parasitic female Megarhyssa could be applied to artificial slender elements, as the ovipositor of Megarhyssa is capable of withstanding larger forces under a specific structural arrangement. This finding is important for understanding the high efficiency of insect probes and inspiring more efficient and safer engineering designs.
The parasitic female Megarhyssa has a hair-like ovipositor capable of withstanding a penetration force 10 times greater than Euler's critical force, using a reciprocating penetration method. Understanding and replicating this penetration mechanism may notably broaden the application scenarios of artificial slender elements. Here, we show that the Megarhyssa's stretched intersegmental membrane and precurved abdomen activate the multipart ovipositor as a biotensegrity structure. The ovipositor's first and second valvulae alternately retract and protract, with each retracted valvula forming a tension network to support the other under compression, resulting in an exponentially increased critical force. We validated this mechanism in a multipart flexible microneedle that withstood a penetration force of 2.5x Euler's critical force and in a lightweight industrial robot that achieved intrinsic safety through its ideal dual-stiffness characteristic. This finding could potentially elucidate the high efficiency of insect probes and inspire more efficient and safer engineering designs.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available