SM25S_11699:Thu:1545:219
XXI International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Warsaw, Poland, August 15-21, 2004

An Aproach to Worm - Like Motion

Klaus Zimmermann (1)Igor Zeidis (1), Joachim Steigenberger (2), Mikhail Pivovarov (1)
1. TUI, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Germany
2. TUI, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Germany


Observing the locomotion of worms one recognizes a conversion of (mostly periodic) internally driven motions into change of external position (undulatory locomotion). In this paper motion of a system of two material points $x_1$ and $x_2$ with the masses $m$, connected by a spring of stiffness $c$ along an axis $x$ is considered. It is supposed that the points are under the action of a small non-symmetric Coulomb dry frictional force $\varepsilon mF (\dot{x}),\:\varepsilon\ll 1$, depending on velocities $\dot x=\dot{x}_i\, (i=1,2)$, where $F(\dot{x})=F_+$ if $\dot x>0,\:$, $F(\dot{x})=F_-$ if $\dot x<0;\:-F_-\ge F_+\ge 0$. Excitation is carried out by the action of small internal periodic force. Investigations show: at presence of excitation and non- symmetric Coulomb dry friction a motion of the system with a constant on the average velocity $V>0$ is possible and this motion is stable. The expression for $V$ is obtained. A worm prototype applying the principles outlined above has been constructed.



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