Emma
Posting #1
Science
Title: Shark Scales Inspire Artifical Skin for Swimming
Publication: Huffington Post
Date: 2/9/12
Recently at Harvard University a Bioroboticist, George Lauder, and a Graduate student, Johannes Oeffner have been studying shark skin to see if the tooth-like scales it is made of increases the speed at which the sharks swim. The two scientists got mako shark skin from a market in Boston and created a small robot in which they coverd in the shark skin. They ran a series of tests on this robot which included shaving off the toot-like parts of the scales to see if the smooth skin made the robot swim faster than the toothed skin. They found that the shark skin with the tooth-like scales made the robot swimm 7.2% faster than the skin with the scales shaved off. These scientists are performing this reserch to see if they create an artifical skin based off of the shark skin that could enhance the speed of underwater robots or that could be used as a swimsuit material. Lauder and Oeffner tested Speedo Fastskin material that utilizes some textures that are similar to that of the shark scales but they found that the material did not enhance swimming speed.
To conclude, though some companies have already tried to create material that utilizes similar textures that help sharks swim faster there is still a lot of reasurch that needs to be done before any real strides will be made. I personally think that this is a worth while endevor that could help increase technology and lead to further discoveries.
As a swimmer, I am really interested in this topic. I've heard of many companies like Speedo and Arena coming out with lines of race wear mimicking the sharkskin, and it's really exciting that there is real scientific evidence behind this. Using nature's most efficient swimmer as cutting edge technology is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of possibilities for improving humankind. For example, scientists may use the spider's silk for clothing, or a polar bear's fur for insulation.
ReplyDeleteThis article just goes to show that science can learn and grow from studying nature. Emulating the aspects of other animals and what makes sharks (only one example) good at swimming can further enhance sciences understanding of the world. The Harvard scientists have the right idea with regards to enhancing the field of knowledge. The findings that the sharks skin can enhance swimming speed can also be applied to more than just swimmers, it could be used to increase the speed of boats or even submarines to make them more fuel efficient and conserve gas.
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