Secret Found to Flight of 'Helicopter Seeds'

livescience ^ | 11 June 2009 | LiveScience Staff

[JoeProBono]

You probably played with them for hours — the seed pods of maple trees, slowly twirling and hovering like helicopters before falling to the ground. The mechanism that causes "helicopter seeds" to spin has been a mystery, until now — a new study has found that the aerodynamics that keep these seeds aloft also allow certain insects, bats and hummingbirds to hover.

A team of Dutch and American scientists from Wageningen University and Caltech measured the flow of air created by swirling seeds by creating plastic models of the seeds and spinning them through a large tank of mineral oil using a specially designed robot dubbed "Robofly." The scientists used light from a powerful laser to measure the motion of tiny glass beads in the oil as the model seed spun through the tank. The images the team obtained showed that a swirling maple seed generates a tornado-like vortex that sits atop the front leading edge as the "helicopter" spins slowly to the ground. This leading edge vortex lowers the air pressure over the upper surface of the maple seed, effectively sucking the wing upward to oppose gravity. The mechanism is remarkably similar to the trick employed by insects, bats, and hummingbirds when they swing their wings back and forth to hover.

[JoeProBono]

[EggsAckley]

Oh good. My life is now complete after attaining the answer to this vital and burning question.

/s

[Islander7]

The mechanism that causes "helicopter seeds" to spin has been a mystery,

A mystery to who? Their aerodynamics are the obvious cause. Duh!

[savedbygrace]

“As God is my witness . . . . “

[gathersnomoss]

Attended my daughters elementary school graduation. The the things to remember...smell a crayon, it will return you to your childhood.

Also, enjoy the flight of a helicopter seed.

[gathersnomoss]

exactly....

[GreenHornet]

“As God is my witness . . . . “

"Oh, the humanity!"

[commish]

With god as my witness, I though turkeys could fly.

[commish]

beat me to it. LOL

[McGruff]

If I see the helicopter he'd better duck. I had to clean them things out of my pool for two weeks recently.

[PrivateIdaho]

“As God is my witness . . . . “

LOL.... maybe the funniest line ever.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[Jack of all Trades]

Man I really hope they figure out how to germinate those bagel seeds next... You know, Cheerios.

Imagine the possibilities.

[NonValueAdded]

Then again, at our elementary school’s science night they took a simple strip of paper, cut and folded so there were two “wing” strips and a descending piece so it was like a “T” with a paper clip placed on the bottom. No fancy engineered airfoil, and it did the same spin-to-the-ground thing. Can I get a mil or two retroactively for a 4th grade teacher?

[scooter2]

I wonder how many tax dollars went into this vital piece of research?

[JoeProBono]

[JOAT]

Thus, the new study, detailed in the June 12 issue of the journal Science, shows that plants and animals have converged on an identical aerodynamic solution for improving their flight performance.

Wow. It's ALMOST like there was a common....designer or something.

[JoeProBono]

[Buck W.]

“...by creating plastic models of the seeds and spinning them through a large tank of mineral oil using a specially designed robot dubbed “Robofly.” “

Isn’t that what got Barney Frank’s roommate in trouble?