Credit: SISSA (Cicconofri/DeSimone)
(February 5, 2016) Snake
locomotion is a source of inspiration for technology: graceful, silent,
adaptable and efficient, it can be implemented on devices designed for the most
diverse applications, from space exploration to medicine. A study carried out
by a SISSA research group, just published in the Proceedings of the Royal
Society A - Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Science, adds to this line
of research and proposes a detailed mathematical account of one of the
characteristic types of movement adopted by this animal. The model could have
applications in the biomedical field, for example to create “smart” scalpels
able to slither into tissues causing only minimal damage.