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There are continuous currents under the surface of the sea as a result of the tide. Research has shown that it is possible to generate renewable energy from these currents using the so-called TidalKite: an underwater device in the Wadden Sea that moves back and forth and generates electricity from the resulting tensile forces. UG associate professor Eize Stamhuis and his colleagues have been involved in the project from the start and have helped to further develop and refine this Dutch invention of SeaQurrent.

In his wind tunnel at Zernike Campus, Eize Stamhuis discovered the smart power of sea birds. But what could he do with the patent for promising wind turbine blades? An alliance with two pioneering entrepreneurs led to the Albatrozz start-up. From looking through a pair of binoculars on Heligoland to developing a spectacular wind turbine at Zeewolde and large-scale applications.

Like snowflakes, no two branches are alike. They can differ in size, shape and texture; some might be wet or moss-covered or bursting with offshoots. And yet birds can land on just about any of them. This ability was of great interest to the labs of Stanford University engineers Mark Cutkosky and David Lentink – now at University of Groningen in the Netherlands – which have both developed technologies inspired by animal abilities.

Vogels vliegen veel efficiënter dan drones. Maar hoe dan? Luchtvaartingenieur en bioloog David Lentink bestudeert vogels om nieuwe manieren van vliegen te ontdekken en ook om de biomechanica van de vogelvlucht beter te begrijpen. Hij verruilde onlangs de Amerikaanse Stanford University voor Groningen, omdat hij hier zijn liefde voor techniek én biologie kan combineren. Lentink is een mooi voorbeeld van een interdisciplinair onderzoeker en ook van vele andere biomimicryonderzoekers aan de RUG die hun inspiratie halen uit de natuur.

David Lentink, an aerospace engineer and biologist, studies birds in order to find new ways to fly, and also to better understand the biomechanics of bird flight. He recently moved from Stanford University to the University of Groningen, one of very few places where he can combine his love for engineering with his love for biology. Lentink is a fine example of the many UG researchers who take their inspiration from nature.

The ESRIG Institute is exciting to welcome a new member to our group. As of March 1, Prof.dr.ir. D. (David) Lentink joined our institute within the Ocean Ecosystems research group.

Despite that boxfishes have a rigid carapace that restricts body undulation, they are highly manoeuvrable and manage to swim with remarkably dynamic stability. Recent research has indicated that the rigid body shape of boxfishes shows an inherently unstable response in its rotations caused by course-disturbing flows.