Students have suffered as my minions and coauthors in the BARK (Biomechanics Advanced Research Kitchen), the IRRL (Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory), the Abyss (Biorobotics and Biomechanics Laboratory), and the Pirate Republic of Pelagia: Kurt Bantilan, Nick Boetticher, Craig Blanchette, Sasha Cavanagh, Annabeth Carroll, Keon Combie, Hayden-William Courtland, Pam Cuce, Megan Cummins, Candido Diaz, Nicole Doorly, Gigi Engel, Carina Frias, Andres Gutierrez, Jonathan Hirokawa, Kira Irving, McKenzie Johnson, Wyatt Korff, Nicole Krenitsky, Nicole Lamb, Adam Lammert, Gianna McArthur, Karen Nipper, David Paul, Sonia Roberts, Greg Rodebaugh, Oren Rosenberg, Hannah Rosenblum, Hassan Sakhtah, Jonathan Seclow, Joe Schumacher, Avery Siciliano, Ben Sinwell, Elise Stickles, Adina Suss, Joshua Sturm, Eamon Twohig, and Stephanie Varga.
My heroes are my teachers. In the department of zoology at Duke University, Professors Steve Wainwright and Steve Vogel, the fathers of comparative biomechanics, taught me the ropes. Professors Fred Nijhout, John Lundberg, Steve Nowicki, Louise Roth, Kathleen Smith, and Vance Tucker deserve part of the blame, as do senior graduate students in the BLIMP and physiology groups: Barbara Block, Hugh Crenshaw, Olaf Ellers, Matt Healy, Anne Moore, Lisa Orton, and Ann Pabst. I wouldn’t have gotten to Duke without Sentiel “Butch” Rommel (College of the Atlantic) and Ted Grand (Smithsonian National Zoological Park), both of whom taught me that deep, genuine enthusiasm for any subject was the spark that lit the mind’s fire.
Friends and family offered encouragement and editorial advice: Paul Callagy and Carolyn Palmer, Mary Ann Cunningham and Tom Finkle, Doug Eaton, Keith and Lisa Fadelici, Kate and Byron Jordan, John Keller, Daniel and Ken Lockhart, Dale Long, Jeb Long, Kate and Joel Nimety, Marty Ronsheim, Jody and Paul Ronsheim, Amy and Lloyd Spencer, Ann and Jeff Staten, Sharon Swartz, Tracy and Joe Troy. Jeff Staten offered trenchant insights in Chapter 1, Adam Lammert was of great help framing Chapter 5, and Charles Pell and Ted Grand made important contributions to Chapter 8.
Some material in this book is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation (grant numbers IOS-0922605, DBI-0442269, BCS-0320764, IOS-9817134). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Some material in this book is based on work supported by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (grant numbers N00014097-1-0292, N00014-93-1-0594). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.