Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Scientists Discover How to Make Robots Bounce on Water

December 9, 2007

Scientists have discovered how water striders are able to not just walk but also bounce on water.


A tiny water walking machine

The way water striders walk on water was discovered years ago. The insect uses its long legs to help evenly distribute its tiny body weight. The weight is distributed over a large area so that the fragile skin formed by surface tension supports the bug on the water. However, the ability of water striders to jump onto water without sinking has baffled scientists, until now.

No comments: