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Project Descriptions
Fall 2026

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Showing 3 projects out of 3 found. On page 1 out of 1.
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Phantom Crane Flies and bioinspired robots gliding without a single wing beat

Victor Ortega Jimenez - Professor, Integrative Biology

Status: Open     Weekly Hours: 6-8 hrs     Location: On Campus

Phantom crane flies (Bittacomorpha clavipes) are one of the most mysterious fliers in the insect world because it has been suggested that they are able to use their legs and body to generate aerodynamic forces and still keep a tight aerial control. Our research can be applied to micro aerial...

 Biological & Health Sciences

Unsteady aerodynamics of Helicopter Seeds

Victor Ortega Jimenez - Professor, Integrative Biology

Status: Open     Weekly Hours: 6-8 hrs     Location: On Campus

Helicopters seeds (Samaras) are remarkable for their aerodynamic capabilities with insects wings. We Investigate the aerodynamics and kinematics of samaras in a vertical wind tunnel. The goal of this project is to understand the unsteady mechanisms they have to fly on unsteady flow conditions...

 Biological & Health Sciences

Dive and flight performance of Water Bugs and bio-inspired robots

Victor Ortega Jimenez - Professor, Integrative Biology

Status: Open     Weekly Hours: 6-8 hrs     Location: On Campus

Water boatmen are renowned for their remarkable adaptations for both diving and flying. However, the physical mechanisms these insects employ to overcome the constraints imposed when transitioning between aquatic and aerial environments remain poorly understood. We investigate in the lab their locomotion performance using High-speed video and fluid dynamics...

 Biological & Health Sciences

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