Engineers Uncover the Secrets of Fish Fins
Published:18 Aug.2021 Source:University of Colorado at Boulder
Peer into any fishbowl, and you'll see that pet goldfish and guppies have nimble fins. With a few flicks of these appendages, aquarium swimmers can turn in circles, dive deep down or even bob to the surface.
New research led by the University of Colorado Boulder has uncovered the engineering secrets behind what makes fish fins so strong yet flexible. The team's insights could one day lead to new designs for robotic surgical tools or even airplane wings that change their shape with the push of a button. The researchers published their results Aug. 11 in the journal Science Robotics.