BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:researchseminars.org CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-WR-CALNAME:researchseminars.org BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Douglas Cortes (New Mexico State University) DTSTART:20200813T220000Z DTEND:20200813T230000Z DTSTAMP:20260422T212607Z UID:CivilEngineering/1 DESCRIPTION:Title: “La estrategia de la lombriz”: explorando la inspiración bio lógica en geotecnia\nby Douglas Cortes (New Mexico State University) as part of Javeriana seminar series on civil engineering\n\nAbstract: TBA\ n\n(La charla será en español) Earthworms and other annelids have been t he source of inspiration for a wide range of exciting limbless robots that use peristaltic motion to crawl on surfaces or move within tubes. However \, most of these bio-inspired devices have not been put to the test of bur rowing in granular media. As a result\, it is easy for industry to underes timate the technology readiness of these designs\, and flock to more conve ntional soil augering\, and driving tools. Penetrating the ground involves complex soil-robot mechanical interactions. The volume expansion and cont raction that define peristaltic motion cause simultaneous localized densif ication of the soil (solid-like behavior) and the formation of shear bands (flow-like behavior). Therefore\, the movement of the worm alters the str ucture of the soil and constantly changes the nature of their interaction. This makes it difficult to use simple continuum mechanics models to study subsurface peristaltic motion. We created an elegantly simple earthworm ( Lumbricus terrestris) inspired soil penetration device by combining a mini ature steel cone penetrometer with a soft membrane and deployed it in a be d of dry loose sand particles. Instead of mimicing the entire body\, our d evice is inspired on the earthworm’s anterior end. Forward movement is d riven by a linear actuator set on a load frame. Hence\, our study focuses on the potential changes in penetration resistance caused by volume expans ion and contraction of the soft membrane. Tests are divided in two series. In the first one we explore the effect of membrane position\, and in the second the effect of changes in boundary conditions and incremental penetr ation depth. Results consistently show a significant decrease in penetrati on resistance when using the earthworm-inspired penetration technique comp ared to conventional soil driving. A complementary discrete element model (DEM) study provides insight into the soil response during penetration.\n LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/CivilEngineering/1/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR