{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T03:51:54Z","timestamp":1792813914783,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,15]],"date-time":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1649980800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000001","name":"NSF","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["19-522"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["19-522"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000001","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"ONR MURI","award":["N00014-14-1-0533"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N00014-14-1-0533"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomimetics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of a model manta ray body, the hydrodynamic role of manta-like bioinspired flapping is investigated. The manta ray model motion is reconstructed from synchronized high-resolution videos of manta ray swimming. Rotation angles of the model skeletal joints are altered to scale the pitching and bending, resulting in eight models with different pectoral fin pitching and bending ratios. Simulations are performed using an in-house developed immersed boundary method-based numerical solver. Pectoral fin pitching ratio (PR) is found to have significant implications in the thrust and efficiency of the manta model. This occurs due to more optimal vortex formation and shedding caused by the lower pitching ratio. Leading edge vortexes (LEVs) formed on the bottom of the fin, a characteristic of the higher PR cases, produced parasitic low pressure that hinders thrust force. Lowering the PR reduces the influence of this vortex while another LEV that forms on the top surface of the fin strengthens it. A moderately high bending ratio (BR) can slightly reduce power consumption. Finally, by combining a moderately high BR = 0.83 with PR = 0.67, further performance improvements can be made. This enhanced understanding of manta-inspired propulsive mechanics fills a gap in our understanding of the manta-like mobuliform locomotion. This motivates a new generation of manta-inspired robots that can mimic the high speed and efficiency of their biological counterpart.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biomimetics7020045","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,16]],"date-time":"2022-04-16T07:42:41Z","timestamp":1650094961000},"page":"45","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":67,"title":["Bio-Inspired Propulsion: Towards Understanding the Role of Pectoral Fin Kinematics in Manta-like Swimming"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2686-8716","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alec","family":"Menzer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4614-9164","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuchen","family":"Gong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5973-3282","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Frank E.","family":"Fish","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19393, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7823-7014","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haibo","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"026019","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-3190\/abb86d","article-title":"Tunabot Flex: A tuna-inspired robot with body flexibility improves high-performance swimming","volume":"16","author":"White","year":"2021","journal-title":"Bioinspir. Biomim."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1080\/19475411.2012.686458","article-title":"Bio-inspired robotic manta ray powered by ionic polymer-metal composite artificial muscles","volume":"3","author":"Chen","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int. J. Smart Nano Mater."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"025001","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-3190\/ab5a34","article-title":"Advantages of aquatic animals as models for bio-inspired drones over present AUV technology","volume":"15","author":"Fish","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bioinspir. Biomim."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.16.1.9","article-title":"Studies in animal locomotion","volume":"16","author":"Gray","year":"1939","journal-title":"J. Exp. Biol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1017\/jfm.2017.533","article-title":"Computational analysis of vortex dynamics and performance enhancement due to body-fin and fin-fin interactions in fish-like locomotion","volume":"829","author":"Liu","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Fluid Mech."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"011902","DOI":"10.1063\/1.5129274","article-title":"Hydrodynamics of median-fin interactions in fish-like locomotion: Effects of fin shape and movement","volume":"32","author":"Han","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phys. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"370","DOI":"10.1017\/jfm.2019.612","article-title":"How dorsal fin sharpness affects swimming speed and economy","volume":"878","author":"Zhong","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Fluid Mech."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1007\/s00227-008-0988-x","article-title":"Movements and site fidelity of the giant manta ray, Manta birostris, in the Komodo Marine Park, Indonesia","volume":"155","author":"Dewar","year":"2008","journal-title":"Mar. Biol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3523","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.202.24.3523","article-title":"Functional morphology of undulatory pectoral fin locomotion in the stingray Taeniura lymma (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae)","volume":"202","author":"Rosenberger","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Exp. Biol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.204.2.379","article-title":"Pectoral Fin Locomotion in Batoid Fishes: Undulation Versus Oscillation","volume":"204","author":"Rosenberger","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Exp. Biol."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"25","article-title":"Investigating the thrust production of a myliobatoid-lnspired oscillating wing","volume":"Volume 58","author":"Moored","year":"2008","journal-title":"CIMTEC 2008\u2014Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Smart Materials 2, Structures and System\u2014Mining Smartness from Nature, Acireale, Sicily, 8\u201313 June 2008"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1017\/jfm.2015.702","article-title":"Hydrodynamics of swimming in stingrays: Numerical simulations and the role of the leading-edge vortex","volume":"788","author":"Bottom","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Fluid Mech."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"A28","DOI":"10.1017\/jfm.2021.917","article-title":"Vortex dynamics and hydrodynamic performance enhancement mechanism in batoid fish oscillatory swimming","volume":"930","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Fluid Mech."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"046002","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-3190\/10\/4\/046002","article-title":"Biomechanical model of batoid (skates and rays) pectoral fins predicts the influence of skeletal structure on fin kinematics: Implications for bio-inspired design","volume":"10","author":"Russo","year":"2015","journal-title":"Bioinspir. Biomim."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4052048","article-title":"A numerical nodel for the analysis of the locomotion of a cownose ray","volume":"144","author":"Bianchi","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Fluids Eng."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevFluids.5.023101","article-title":"Three-dimensional biological hydrodynamics study on various types of batoid fishlike locomotion","volume":"5","author":"Thekkethil","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fish, F.E., Schreiber, C.M., Moored, K.W., Liu, G., Dong, H., and Bart-Smith, H. (2016). Hydrodynamic performance of aquatic flapping: Efficiency of underwater flight in the manta. Aerospace, 3.","DOI":"10.3390\/aerospace3030020"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166041","DOI":"10.1242\/jeb.166041","article-title":"Kinematics of swimming of the manta ray: Three-dimensional analysis of open-water maneuverability","volume":"221","author":"Fish","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Exp. Biol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.4031\/MTSJ.51.5.5","article-title":"Swimming kinematics of mobuliform rays: Oscillatory winged propulsion by large pelagic batoids","volume":"51","author":"Fish","year":"2017","journal-title":"Mar. Technol. Soc. J."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, Z., Zhang, L., and Chen, W. (2015, January 10). Investigation in wave number of rajiform swimmers. Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation 2015, ICIA 2015\u2014In Conjunction with 2015 IEEE International Conference on Automation and Logistics, Lijiang, China.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICInfA.2015.7279313"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tu, Y., Wang, J., Hu, H., and Dong, H. (2020, January 6\u201310). Twist morphing effect on propulsive performance of bioinspired pitching-rolling plates. Proceedings of the AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, 1 PartF, Orlando, FL, USA.","DOI":"10.2514\/6.2020-2019"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ren, Y., and Dong, H. (2016, January 13\u201317). Low-dimensional modeling and aerodynamics of flexible wings in flapping flight. Proceedings of the 34th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Washington, DC, USA.","DOI":"10.2514\/6.2016-4168"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.2514\/1.J051593","article-title":"Fluid dynamics of pitching and plunging flat plate at intermediate Reynolds numbers","volume":"51","author":"Kang","year":"2013","journal-title":"AIAA J."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, J., Li, C., Ren, Y., and Dong, H. (2017, January 5\u20139). Effects of surface morphing on the wake structure and performance of flapping plates. Proceedings of the 47th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference, Denver, CO, USA.","DOI":"10.2514\/6.2017-3643"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ren, Y., Liu, G., and Dong, H. (2015, January 5\u20139). Effects of surface morphing on the wake structure and performance of pitching-rolling plates. Proceedings of the 53rd AIAA Aerospace Meeting, Kissimmee, FL, USA.","DOI":"10.2514\/6.2015-1490"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jia, K., and Wei, M. (2021, January 2\u20136). Optimization of flexible flapping wings for thrust and efficiency. Proceedings of the AIAA Aviation 2021 Forum, Chicago, IL, USA.","DOI":"10.2514\/6.2021-2570"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"046010","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-3190\/ab2208","article-title":"Computational investigation of wing-body interaction and its lift enhancement effect in hummingbird forward flight","volume":"14","author":"Wang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bioinspir. Biomim."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20190590","DOI":"10.1098\/rsif.2019.0590","article-title":"Tuna locomotion: A computational hydrodynamic analysis of finlet function","volume":"17","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. R. Soc. Interface"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4825","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcp.2008.01.028","article-title":"A versatile sharp interface immersed boundary method for incompressible flows with complex boundaries","volume":"227","author":"Mittal","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Comput. Phys."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfluidstructs.2015.08.001","article-title":"Effects of a dynamic trailing-edge flap on the aerodynamic performance and flow structures in hovering flight","volume":"58","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Fluids Struct."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3215","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-018-05708-1","article-title":"A balance between aerodynamic and olfactory performance during flight in Drosophila","volume":"9","author":"Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103422","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfluidstructs.2021.103422","article-title":"Propulsive performance and vortex wakes of multiple tandem foils pitching in-line","volume":"108","author":"Han","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Fluids Struct."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"016018","article-title":"Modal decompositions of the kinematics of Crevalle jack and the fluid-caudal fin interaction","volume":"16","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bioinspir. Biomim."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121901","DOI":"10.1063\/5.0028682","article-title":"Computational analysis of hydrodynamic interactions in a high-density fish school","volume":"32","author":"Pan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Phys. Fluids"},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"1","article-title":"Van. Wake structures and effect of hydrofoil shapes in efficient flapping propulsion","volume":"3","author":"Kelly","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am. Soc. Mech. Eng. Fluids Eng. Div. Publ. FEDSM"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"652","DOI":"10.1002\/elsc.201600061","article-title":"Euler-Lagrange computational fluid dynamics for bioreactor scale down: An analysis of organism lifelines","volume":"16","author":"Haringa","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eng. Life Sci."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2500","DOI":"10.1016\/j.buildenv.2011.06.001","article-title":"CFD simulation of airborne pathogen transport due to human activities","volume":"46","author":"Hathway","year":"2011","journal-title":"Build. Environ."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang, W., Pan, Y., Gong, Y., Dong, H., and Xi, J. (2021, January 10\u201312). A versatile IBM-based amr method for studying human snoring. Proceedings of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fluids Engineering Division (Publication) FEDSM, Virtual.","DOI":"10.1115\/FEDSM2021-65790"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.taml.2014.12.004","article-title":"Thrust producing mechanisms in ray-inspired underwater vehicle propulsion","volume":"5","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Theor. Appl. Mech. Lett."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"916","DOI":"10.1007\/s42235-019-0106-4","article-title":"Bionic Flapping Pectoral Fin with Controllable Spatial Deformation","volume":"16","author":"Cai","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Bionic Eng."}],"container-title":["Biomimetics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2313-7673\/7\/2\/45\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T22:55:07Z","timestamp":1760136907000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2313-7673\/7\/2\/45"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,15]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6]]}},"alternative-id":["biomimetics7020045"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biomimetics7020045","relation":{},"ISSN":["2313-7673"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2313-7673","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,15]]}}}