Mathematical study for unified understanding of legged locomotion from the evolutionary view point

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25610033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foundations of mathematics/Applied mathematics
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Ryo 広島大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (60153657)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ISHIGURO Akio 東北大学, 電気通信研究所, 教授 (90232280)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脚式ロコモーション / 進化 / 数理モデル / スナガニ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied the legged locomotion which is adopted by vertebrate and arthropod (two biggest animal groups on earth) from the mechanical view point and from the evolutionary view point. Once animals obtain legs in the evolutionary process, it seems that the number of legs decrease (or at least, not increase). We observed the walking/running of ghost crab which can run exceptionally fast in arthropod and changes the number of operating legs according to the moving velocity. We proposed a mathematical model of the locomotion of ghost crab, and clarified why the number of operating legs decreases as the velocity increases by the analysis of the model. By this, we gave a plausible reason of decrease legs in evolution. Also, we proposed a platform for describing the locomotion of animals and its control, which was named "dynamic flow graph",

Free Research Field

数理生命科学