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Undulating their bodies keeps flying snakes from tumbling out of control

Accepted submission by Freeman at 2020-07-02 18:40:34 from the robot overlords dept.
Science

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/study-flying-snakes-wiggle-mid-air-to-stabilize-themselves-while-gliding/ [arstechnica.com]

Flying snakes can glide as far as 78 feet (24 meters) without tumbling out of control because they undulate their bodies mid-flight, as if they were swimming through the air. This seems to be a specialized strategy to stabilize their flight rather than an evolutionary remnant of general snake behavior, according to a new paper [nature.com] in the journal Nature Physics. The work could eventually lead to a new, improved control template for dynamic flying robots [plos.org].


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