Projects
To tell us about previous or ongoing STEAM projects, click here.
Current Projects
Keeling it: Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Secondary Control Surfaces
Researchers Involved
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Marissa Pattison, undergraduate student, biology
Description
We are really focusing the impacts of shape on control surface mechanics. This work utilizes photography for shape analyses and 3D modeling. Keels are not found on all sharks species, so there is an evolutionary component to understanding the mechanisms of this structure.
Outcomes
Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry symposium poster.
Ongoing Need
We are looking for funding opportunities and collaborators interested in developing the artistic side of this project.
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Marissa Pattison, undergraduate student, biology
Description
We are really focusing the impacts of shape on control surface mechanics. This work utilizes photography for shape analyses and 3D modeling. Keels are not found on all sharks species, so there is an evolutionary component to understanding the mechanisms of this structure.
Outcomes
Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry symposium poster.
Ongoing Need
We are looking for funding opportunities and collaborators interested in developing the artistic side of this project.
Going with the Flow: Lift Generation of the Hammerhead Cephalofoil
Researchers Involved
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Matthew Warren, undergraduate student, ocean and mechanical engineering
Sarah Hoffmann, Ph.D. student, science, biology
Oscar Curet, Ph.D., assistant professor, ocean & mechanical engineering
Description
We are examining the ability of the hammerhead cephalofoil, which varies among the 8 species, to generate lift. We are using 3D printed models to examine the flow around the cephalofoils, and the forces generated as the angle of attack changes. We are trying to answer, from a mechanical perspective, why does the hammerhead have a strange head?
Outcomes
Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry funding for Matthew Warren. Presentation at annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in 2016 and 2017.
Ongoing Need
We are looking to expand on this project with additional funding and interested student collaborators.
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Matthew Warren, undergraduate student, ocean and mechanical engineering
Sarah Hoffmann, Ph.D. student, science, biology
Oscar Curet, Ph.D., assistant professor, ocean & mechanical engineering
Description
We are examining the ability of the hammerhead cephalofoil, which varies among the 8 species, to generate lift. We are using 3D printed models to examine the flow around the cephalofoils, and the forces generated as the angle of attack changes. We are trying to answer, from a mechanical perspective, why does the hammerhead have a strange head?
Outcomes
Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry funding for Matthew Warren. Presentation at annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in 2016 and 2017.
Ongoing Need
We are looking to expand on this project with additional funding and interested student collaborators.
Lionfish Spine Mechanics
Researchers Involved
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Kate Galloway, Ph.D. student, science, biology
Noa Abiri, FAU HS student, undergraduate researcher, engineering
Description
We are examining the bending and puncture mechanics of lionfish spines, which have a unique cross-sectional shape. We are using imaging and 3D printing to make models of this system to understand how and if lionfish use their spines for defense.
Outcomes
Kate Galloway has presented this work at two annual meetings of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in 2017 and 2018. Noa Abiri has been awarded an Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry grant to fund this research and has presented a poster at the undergraduate research symposium. We have obtained funding from the Janke Foundation.
Ongoing Need
We are interested in developing the artistic side of this project and collaborating with artists.
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., assistant professor, biological sciences
Kate Galloway, Ph.D. student, science, biology
Noa Abiri, FAU HS student, undergraduate researcher, engineering
Description
We are examining the bending and puncture mechanics of lionfish spines, which have a unique cross-sectional shape. We are using imaging and 3D printing to make models of this system to understand how and if lionfish use their spines for defense.
Outcomes
Kate Galloway has presented this work at two annual meetings of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology in 2017 and 2018. Noa Abiri has been awarded an Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry grant to fund this research and has presented a poster at the undergraduate research symposium. We have obtained funding from the Janke Foundation.
Ongoing Need
We are interested in developing the artistic side of this project and collaborating with artists.