Overview | the-socha-lab

Research

Samples of recent and ongoing projects in the lab

Mechanics of tracheal collapse What makes a tracheal tube collapse under pressure? Its mechanics underly how ventilatory airflows are created in some insects.	Aerodynamics of flying snakes How do snakes produce the forces they need to glide? Their shape and undulatory patterns are unique amongst flyers.	Leaping frogs Some frogs can eject from the water using a single stroke. We're studying the physics of this powerful leap.
Viscosity of insect blood To understand the mechanics of circulation in insects, it is important to understand the properties of the hemolymph (blood). We're making new measurements to determine its characteristics.	Circulation in insects How do insects transport their blood within the body? Hemolymph is moved by the heart, but also by many other mechanisms in the open circulatory system.	How frogs skitter on water We want to understand why some frogs can hop across water, and most other frogs can't.
3D visualization of volume data We are using our biological data to help develop new ways to interact with 3D information. This project is led by Doug Bowman in Computer Science, with David Laidlaw a co-PI from Brown.	Landing in flying snakes How do flying snakes land? Without legs or feet, they still manage to land on vegetation or the ground, seemingly without injury.	Active respiration in insects We're trying to figure out how insects create and use active ventilation in their respiratory system.