Description:
The book in hand grew out of the authors' current research and their long-continued experience in teaching mathematics and mechanics. In a wide sense, it aims at mathematical modeling of mechanical objects and their exploitation. This is done in a bit unconventional way by concentrating on the special object class worm-like locomotion systems and in proceeding with no use of recent sophisticated mathematical tools which most likely cannot be handled by freshmen in engineering or mathematics. Nevertheless, this does not harm the stringent line the physical object to the analytical interpretation of the final mathematical model. The basic model spiked worm in a straight line enables the authors to come up with a fairly self-contained theory which then allows one to study effects of friction and control. The considered system class has its importance in practice (motion in narrow canals, e.g.), but this book is not with an orientation to design and application, the theory developed here should rather be seen as a contribution to bionics.