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Biomechanical Engineering Lab
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The lab uses mechanics to uncover how living things fly and applies the findings to robots.
AboutAbout the lab
Learning from living things to build flying machines.
The Biomechanical Engineering Lab studies biomechanics, which uses mechanics to understand how the bodies of living things move.
It investigates complex phenomena such as the flight of insects and birds, swimming of aquatic animals, and the human cardiovascular system, combining computation, experiments, and measurement.
The lab uses biomimetics, the approach of imitating or taking as models the forms and functions that living things have acquired through evolution.
It is also developing ultra-small flapping-wing flying robots, next-generation drones, and small wind turbines modeled on biological wings.
Key terms
- Biomechanics
- Biomechanics: the study of how living things move and function, using the principles of mechanics
- Biomimetics
- Biomimetics: the approach of creating new technologies by imitating the forms and mechanisms of living things
- Leading-edge vortex
- Leading-edge vortex: a vortex formed along the front edge of a flapping wing, which increases lift
NewsLab news
A student received the Excellent Poster Award at the Bioengineering Conference of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
A student's paper was selected as the Top Image of the journal that published it
A student received the Outstanding Presentation Award for Young Researchers at the Bio-Frontier Conference of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
A doctoral student received a Student Award at ISABMEC 2024
Professor Liu was elected a member of the Engineering Academy of Japan
ResearchResearch themes
The lab explores the fundamental principles of complex biological fluid dynamics phenomena seen in the flight of insects and birds, the swimming of aquatic animals, and the human cardiovascular system, as well as fluid-structure interaction with flexible structures. Its research is carried out on a platform that integrates computational mechanics, experimental mechanics, and measurement of real phenomena.
*Illustrative imageInsect Flight
Through numerical analysis, the lab has shown that the leading-edge vortex formed along the front edge of a flapping wing is a universal mechanism that increases lift in insect flight. It also studies how aerodynamic performance improves when flexible wings deform passively, and how flight is controlled in turbulence.
*Illustrative imageBird Flight
Using motion measurement and numerical analysis, the lab investigated how hummingbirds hover while changing the shape of their wings to improve aerodynamic performance. It has also shown that the serrations on the leading edge of an owl's wing play an important role in generating force and suppressing noise.
*Illustrative imageCardiovascular System
The lab represents the hemodynamics of the heart and blood vessels with multiscale models. Its work includes simulation-based prediction of coronary artery surgery, flow instability around cerebral aneurysms, and blood flow around bicuspid aortic valves.
*Illustrative imageBio-inspired Flapping-Wing Robots
The first-generation flapping-wing robot has X-shaped wings modeled on the hawkmoth. The second generation has two wings modeled on the hummingbird, and its flexible structure achieves passively stable flight.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biomechanical Engineering Lab consist of faculty, secretaries, project researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorHao Liu
- Associate ProfessorToshiyuki Nakata
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “061 Wild Bumblebee in flight pollinating with Crocus Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois Photo by Giles Laurent” Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Insect Flight: “Hyles livornica (Striped hawkmoth) - Flickr - S. Rae” S. Rae from Scotland, UK / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Bird Flight: “Bird plumage” JonRichfield / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Cardiovascular System: “Human Heart and Circulatory System” Bryan Brandenburg / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Bio-inspired Flapping-Wing Robots: “MicroAirVehicle” w:United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth G. Takada / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Autonomous Control Systems Lab): “DJI Mavic 4 Pro Drone in Flight Napeague New York” Hayden Soloviev / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nakagawa-Ohtsuka Lab (Human Welfare Biomedical Engineering Lab)): “AFRL Auditory Localization Facility enhances sound localization research for military applications Maj. Taylor Paige” Richard Eldridge / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Mikami Lab): “COLOR IMAGE OF THE FLOW VISUALIZATION RIG - BLACK & WHITE IMAGE OF DIFFUSER EXPERIMENT RIG - NARA - 17448952” 作者不詳 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Josaphat Lab): “Sentinel 1-IMG 5874-white” Rama / CC BY-SA 2.0 fr (cropped)
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