Gentoo penguins are the speediest swimming birds in the world. Thanks to their slick wings, the birds can reach speeds of up to 22 mph while searching for food. Now, because of a new study published in Physics of Fluids, researchers understand the mechanism behind their exceptional swimming ability and found that it’s all in the angle of their wings.
By observing how penguins move and position their flippers underwater, researchers can use the findings to design aquatic vehicles without high experimental or computational costs.
“Penguins’ superior swimming ability to start/brake, accelerate/decelerate, and turn swiftly is due to their freely waving wings. They allow penguins to propel and maneuver in the water and maintain balance on land,” says Prasert Prapamonthon, study author and engineer at Thailand’s International Academy of Aviation Industry, in a press release. “Our research team is always curious about sophisticated creatures in nature that would be beneficial ...
