Ray Locomotion

My undergraduate research experience took place in the Multi-scale Muscle Mechanics Lab at UVA, led by Dr. Silvia Blemker. I began my experience by helping a PhD candidate construct an artificial batoid ray fin from purchased, CNC machined, and 3D printed parts for experimental validation of computational research. I soon began researching my own topic on this project, studying the linkage between ray muscle structure and function. I developed biomechanical models in SIMM, based on dissections and CT scans, which gave insight into their muscle recruitment and locomotion. My finding were published in my senior thesis and our schools undergraduate engineering journal.