Consider the Proportional Strength of Ants
It's easy to dislike ants, I'll allow. They get in the house, spoil picnics, crawl up your leg, and other nuisance things. Ever have an ant farm as a kid? I didn't. Anyway, many of us like to stop and watch them carry things that are
proportionally larger than they are and wonder how they can do that —
and maybe want that ability ourselves.Well, some people are using biomimetics and thinking that mayhaps they can get inspiration from ants for robot designs.
There was a study on the things, and it was discovered that they their structure is conducive to carrying. Part of this is that since their exoskeletons are so light, they do not have to carry their own weight, so they can focus on getting something from here and bringing it over there. Of course, the study praised evolution, blessed be! What they should have done is realize that the evidence shows the skill of their Designer.
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| Image credit: Openclipart |
Now, I’m far from being an entomologist, but the diversity of designs in the insect world and their astounding capabilities have always amazed me. Recently, I stood outside in a friend’s driveway watching what struck me as both a funny sight to see, yet truly incredible: a tiny little black ant hauling a dead worm at least 20 times its own size across the driveway to the anthill on the other side. How can such a small insect haul such a comparatively large prize? Also, how much weight can an ant carry?To read the rest, click on "Ants: the incredible heavy-lifting champions".
A recent study on the structure and mechanics of the ant neck joint showed that the neck joint of the ant species Formica exsectoides (Allegheny mound ant) can withstand up to approximately 5,000 times the ant's own weight, far exceeding even the research team’s own estimates of 1,000 times.