We present in this fluid dynamics video a novel experimental setup with self-propelled swimmers on a free surface. The swimmers, modeled as flexible thin filaments, are subjected to external electromagnetic forcing driving a propagating elastic wave that gives rise to self-propulsion.
This video was presented at the Gallery of Fluid Motion of the 2013 meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society. Reference:
S. Ramananarivo, B. Thiria and R. Godoy-Diana. Elastic swimmer on a free surface.
Phys. Fluids 26, 091112 (2014). dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4893539
The fluid-structure interaction problem of these passive anguilliform swimmers is analyzed in:
S. Ramananarivo, R. Godoy-Diana, and B. Thiria. Passive elastic mechanism to mimic fish-muscles action in anguilliform swimming. J. R. Soc. Interface, 10, 20130667 (2013). dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2013.0667