Researchers in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland believe they have uncovered one of the secrets of bats' aerodynamic prowess: rows of microscopic, domed hairs on their wings that might act like speedometers and stall indicators. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Susanne Sterbing-D'Angelo and her colleagues have found empirical evidence for what researchers have long suspected: the tiny domed hairs function as arrays of sensors that transmit airspeed information to bats' brains, helping them control their flight and avoid stalling.
More Info: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/scitech/release.cfm?ArticleID=2460
Contact Info:
Dr. Cynthia F. Moss
cmoss@psyc.umd.edu
