Author(s)

Y.Y. YAN, L. REN & J. LI

Abstract

The electro-osmotically driven flow near an earthworm’s body surface is a basic electrokinetic phenomenon that takes place when the earthworm moves in moist soil. The flow in a micro thin layer of water is formed in the vicinity of the earthworm’s body surface as a result of the electric double layer interaction. Such a microscale electro-osmotically driven flow plays the role of lubrication between the earthworm’s body surface and the surrounding medium of moist soil and reduces the surface adhesion. The examples of bionic design in engineering inspired by such natural phenomena of the earthworm in soil are reported.

Keywords

anti-adhesion, biomimetics, earthworm, electro-osmotic flow, modelling, nature inspired design