Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #flyinglizards
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We show that wild #flyinglizards change their body posture and wing (airfoil) shape to use an #aerodynamic strategy that maximizes their glide distance while allowing them to modulate the lift and drag production in-flight. Why is this cool? (1/8)
nature.com/articles/s4159…
nature.com/articles/s4159…
We constructed a seven-camera motion capture system in the Agumbe rainforest to record voluntary glides and measure (in detail) the kinematics and changes in body shape and posture of the #flyinglizard (no more than a palms length) gliding a distance of 5.5 m. (2/8)
#flyinglizards continuously changed their body orientation to hold a steady airfoil angle with respect to the oncoming wind (angle of attack, AoA); The steady AoA corresponded to their near-maximal lift-to-drag ratio which is desirable to maximize the glide distance. (3/8)
