Research On Wettability Of Leg And Motion Characteristic Of Water Strider

Creatures in order to adapt to the environment, after million years of evolution, Theyhave been formed unique organs as well as perfect body structure for survival in nature. Theorgans almost be the best no matter in structure or the way to life. Because they have theunique characteristics. We can study these unique feature then use the research findings tosolve complex problems in the production and life, it is of great importance in the wayhuman develop the nature. Water strider is a common aquatic insect which has a special skilland ability.Water strider can move quickly over the water and when moving on the water,they neither bring noise nor damage the surface of the water. Another importantcharacteristic is that water strider can live for a long time on the surface of the water, but willnot wetting itself. Based on the these two kinds of special skills and abilities, the wettabilityof water strider’s leg and motion characteristics was under study in this paper.To realize the wettability of water strider’s leg, we study on the leg surface of waterstrider. Stereo microscope, scanning electron microscope(SEM), atomic force microscope(AFM) was used for observation and scanning. An orderly seta was full of the surface ofwater strider’s leg; The micro/nano structure on seta was found by using atomic forcemicroscope(AFM); Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer was used for detect chemicalcomposition and found wax, protein and chitin on the leg’s surface. To explore the waterstrider leg hydrophobic characteristic. Cassie model was used to analyze the reason andaccording to Cassie model three hydrophobic models was established and analyzed. Theresults showed that the superhydrophobic of leg has a relationship to chemical compositionand surface structure. The dynamic contact angle was measured and leg with water contactforce was measured qualitative, the results show that the leg has low stiction and side by sidelegs has anisotropy.High speed camera was used to shooting water strider motion in different conditionssuch as linear motion, steering motion, inverse motion, also the motion under abnormalcondition was captured. According to these captured video. Motion data was extracted fromthe video. Motion under different condition was analyzed and we found the role of eachleg in motion and law of motion. By studying the water strider movement in the waterenvironment and no water environment, we got water strider motion mechanism. Accordingto the high speed camera video, combined water strider movement mechanism analysis,different motion state gait sequence was drawed and found the gait law.