2026-07-10 スイス連邦工科大学ローザンヌ校（EPFL）
© Raphael Zufferey
＜関連情報＞
- https://actu.epfl.ch/news/a-flapping-robot-swims-and-flies-like-a-diving-b-2/
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aeb6744
水面から飛び出す：羽ばたきによる空中・水中移動 Leaping out of the water: Aerial-aquatic locomotion with flapping wings
Raphael Zufferey, Simon L. Jeger, Moritz Hüsser, Fernando Ruiz, […] , and Dario Floreano
Science Published:9 Jul 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aeb6744
Abstract
Wing-propelled diving birds flap their wings to move through air and water, yet the wing morphology and kinematics that enable this behavior remain poorly understood because of the difficulty of collecting in situ data. The impact of flapping frequency, wing size, and stiffness on locomotion in—and transition between—the two media are still unknown. We compared data from diving birds against experiments using a flapping-wing robot capable of flying, swimming, plunge diving, and exiting the water. We show that frequency adaptation, flexible wings, and powerful actuation enable seamless transitions without folding wings or legs, that large wings enhance flight without substantially reducing underwater efficiency, and that tail-body distance and egress angle affect water exit. These results clarify how birds (and robots) balance multifluid locomotion constraints.
