we gotta talk about the snondom.
June 11, 2009
Cross-country skis? Robot surgeons? Straitjackets? I think it’s safe to say that the groundbreaking study of snake motion in the newest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has it all.
Lead-authored by David Hu of Georgia Tech, this study is the first to combine theoretical modeling with experimentation to understand what the slither is all about. The research reveals that specialized muscles enable precise, intricate micro-manipulation of belly scales. Grip the surface, lift the body, adjust the weight, and push ahead in a sequence that propels the snake forward.
Along the way, snakes were placed on a photoelastic gel medium which lights up as pressure is applied. And snakes were sheathed in cloth straitjackets to isolate the role of belly-to-surface contact. Snake straitjackets, or snake condoms, if you prefer. The researchers prefered “snondoms”. And I trust that you do, too.
As for that surgery? Biomimetic researchers are hoping that the study can inform robot technology, refining tools that slither into patients to perform operations with minimal damage. Creepy cool.
(photos courtesy of National Geographic. See more here!)
