Scott David Kelly

Abstract

The geometric formalism of mechanics provides a natural setting
in which to realize models for aquatic locomotion as nonlinear control 
systems.  Methods of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian reduction provide, in 
particular, for the identification of low-order models for systems which 
exhibit Lie groups of symmetries. This approach is most direct for problems in 
the driftless extremes of irrotational inviscid flow and Stokes flow, but can 
be adapted to problems in macroscopic swimming hinging on the shedding of 
coherent vortex structures from deformable solid surfaces. This talk will 
present complementary mathematical and experimental research pertaining to 
both solitary and cooperative biomorphic swimming, linking Lagrangian and 
Hamiltonian modeling efforts to the development of robotic platforms with 
novelflow sensors for feedback control.