Imaging, Mechanics, Construction, and Sonification of Three-Dimensional Spider Webs

Spiders, silks and webs have adapted, survived, and prospered in most ecosystems for millions of years, despite being subjected to environmental and human pressures. They are the proof of an evolutionary success, in part due to the exceptional mechanical and biological properties of their silks but also the various web geometries they can build, from simplistic T-webs, to typical 2D orb webs, to complex 3D webs. Silk’s microscale thickness and the highly complex spatial network are significant challenges towards quantifying and visualizing the intricate architectures, mechanics, and construction of 3D webs. In this work, we aim to provide a consistent and automated non-destructive in-situ experimental and computational framework for quantifying and validating what has been observed in nature. A better understanding of the biological and mechanical performance of the 3D spider webs could inspire sustainable high-performance fiber networks and complex assembly strategies. Our framework begins with the first automatic imaging method for quantifying 3D spider web geometries. We use image processing on high-resolution images of slices of the web illuminated by a sliding sheet laser to automatically quantify and model the web. Using the web model and coarse-grain bead-spring particle dynamic simulations, we investigate the important role of the interplay between nonlinear behavior of dragline silk and the complex and redundant structure of the web in the mechanical and functional performance of the web. We investigate and quantify the structure and mechanics of a 3D spider web at varying stages of construction. This is accomplished by imaging, modelling and simulations throughout the web-building process to capture changes in the natural web geometry and the mechanical properties. Finally, we introduce a novel method for visualizing complex 3D spider web using sonification, a visualization method through sound. We developed an intuitive, interactive, and immersive sonification platform that, by translating the complex 3D fiber network architecture into sound, can be used for 3D spider web data and creative exploration.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Su, Isabelle

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Buehler, Markus J.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
• Copyright MIT

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139255

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/139255