Quantifying Three Dimensional Internal and External Deformations in Flexible Organisms during Locomotion

Many of the best-studied animal movements occur primarily in a plane. During walking, the limbs swing forward and back during swimming, the tail undulates from side to side. The fact that these movements are primarily planar has allowed us to understand their basic mechanics and control on the basis of two-dimensional techniques like filming with a single camera. Most previous research has also focused on steady, linear locomotion on a smooth substrate or in laminar, smoothly flowing water. By reducing the variability and complexity of the environment, the basic movements become more planar and simpler to understand. These types of experiments have been particularly useful for identifying strategies that reduce the cost of long distance transport.