On August 10, Smithsonian Magazine published an extensive interview with Megan Leftwich, Assistant Professor in the SEAS Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, on her research with sea lion flippers inspired by a visit to the Smithsonian National Zoo. The inspiration led to the creation of a working prototype of a robotic flipper which replicates the movement of sea lion flippers.
Read the interview and watch the video: When a Trip to the Zoo Resulted in an Engineering Breakthrough