Yoshioka Taiyo, Kameda Tsunenori
Silk Materials Research Group, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 1-2 Owashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8634, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2025 Feb 19;15(1):6120. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-89912-2.
Silk use in survival strategies among silk-producing arthropods is versatile and ingenious. Bagworms employ silk for a variety of functions, including nest construction, anchoring, and dangling. We recently discovered a novel use of silk for locomotion. Bagworms create a ladder-like foothold, allowing them to walk without prolegs, by spinning a silk thread in a zigzag pattern and controlling the adhesive discharge to secure the folded parts to the substrate. While the bagworm silk thread's strength and toughness are known to be sufficient for supporting their weight during walking and dangling, the attachment strength of the foothold's glued parts has not been assessed. In this study, we evaluate the attachment strength of each glued part and unveil an energy-efficient design of the foothold that ensures safe walking and dangling. This safety design for bagworm locomotion could inspire novel designs for locomotion systems in soft robotics.
在产丝节肢动物的生存策略中，丝的用途多样且巧妙。蓑蛾将丝用于多种功能，包括筑巢、固定和悬垂。我们最近发现了丝在运动方面的一种新用途。蓑蛾通过以之字形方式纺出丝线并控制粘性分泌物，将折叠部分固定在基质上，从而创造出类似梯子的立足点，使它们能够在没有腹足的情况下行走。虽然已知蓑蛾丝线的强度和韧性足以在行走和悬垂时支撑它们的体重，但立足点粘合部分的附着强度尚未得到评估。在本研究中，我们评估了每个粘合部分的附着强度，并揭示了一种节能的立足点设计，以确保安全行走和悬垂。这种蓑蛾运动的安全设计可能会激发软机器人运动系统的新设计。
