Mobility in dry granular media
| When |
Dec 03, 2026
from 11:00 to 12:00 |
|---|---|
| Contact Name | Nicolas Taberlet |
| Attendees |
Baptiste DARBOIS-TEXIER |
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Many civil engineering applications and desert animal locomotion involve moving objects through dry grains. To better understand these situations, we experimentally study the granular forces acting on objects moving through a granular material, and we develop bio-inspired robots to study their propulsion in granular environments. In this presentation, I will first discuss the case of two spheres moving side-by-side through a granular medium, showing that a cooperative effect emerges in which the drag experienced by each sphere is reduced when they are close enough. I will then present the behavior of a snake robot moving on a granular substrate with different gaits. Its propulsive efficiency will be analyzed using our understanding of the granular forces acting on each body element of the robot.