How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls

Animal Movement

All animals must move. Evolutionarily, movement developed to get access to energy in the form of food. Animals use movement to navigate different conditions, such as pursuing prey or evading threats.

The study of animal movement expanded in the early 20th century with applied mathematics and new imaging technologies, such as the first uses of strobe photography in the 1930s. Each advance in imaging technologies furthers animal movement studies.

Current animal movement studies happen at the intersection of imaging, robotics, computing, fluid dynamics and other disciplines.

How Do They Walk on Water, Slither, Swim or Fly?

Because water strider insects weigh only 10 milligrams [3/1,000ths of an ounce], they can use surface tension to walk on water. Their legs are covered with tiny grooved hairs that repel water and trap air to enable this feat. Their rowing motion takes only 1/100th of a second, so scientists must study it with high-speed cameras. Scientists use “flow visualization” – that is, adding something...