by Nsikan Akpan
No matter how tight you tug, it feels like some shoelaces are doomed to come untied.
Fret no longer, as new research from the University of California, Berkeley, has figured out the physics behind why the knots fail and why some shoelaces are more prone to the mistake.
While the poetic inevitability of the slipup may provide comfort to those afflicted by wayward shoelaces, the research published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A may also provide clues for building soft, lifelike robots.
Mechanical engineer Oliver O’Reilly began looking into this telltale problem three years ago, after trying to teach his young daughter to tie her shoes.“I went online and found all these helpful videos about how to tie your shoelaces,” O’Reilly said. “They were wonderful and very helpful, but I also noticed there were no videos online about why your shoelaces become untied.”
This dearth of information pinged O’Reilly’s attention because he studies dynamics — the science of motion — in flexible materials for soft robots. While Disney’s “Big Hero 6” might look cool on the big screen, a lot of mathematical models on how and when materials deform would be needed to build such a robot. So, O’Reilly handed off this investigation into shoelaces as a side project for two of his graduate students, Christopher Daily-Diamond and Christine Gregg.Use the passage to answer the question.
Which statement describes the interaction between Oliver O’Reilly, Christopher Daily-Diamond, and Christine Gregg?
(1 point)
Responses
O’Reilly had Daily-Diamond and Gregg create tutorial videos.
O’Reilly had Daily-Diamond and Gregg create tutorial videos.
O’Reilly designed a mathematical model with Daily-Diamond and Gregg.
O’Reilly designed a mathematical model with Daily-Diamond and Gregg.
O’Reilly asked Daily-Diamond and Gregg to teach robots how to tie shoelaces.
O’Reilly asked Daily-Diamond and Gregg to teach robots how to tie shoelaces.
O’Reilly assigned a research project to Daily-Diamond and Gregg.
1 answer
The statement that best describes the interaction between Oliver O’Reilly, Christopher Daily-Diamond, and Christine Gregg is:
O’Reilly assigned a research project to Daily-Diamond and Gregg.
This is supported by the passage, which mentions that O'Reilly "handed off this investigation into shoelaces as a side project for two of his graduate students."
1 answer
1 answer
1 answer
1 answer