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Corn Stalk Biomechanics
Crop stalk failure is a major problem for farmers and grain markets.  Zea mays (corn) is the world’s most commonly cultivated grain, with almost 1 billion tons produced annually.  The development of ultra-high yield corn hybrids has resulted in increased stalk failure, and the resolution of this problem has eluded plant breeders. The application of biomechanical principles and techniques will allow plant breeders to selectively breed for both high yield and stronger stalks, which will lead to significant reduced rates of stalk failure and increased food production.  Unfortunately, there is currently no detailed biomechanical data on either the material properties or geometric features of corn stalks.

Musical Instruments
As computational power increases, real time physics-based synthesis of musical instruments will likely replace traditional synthesizers, which are typically based on imitation of each instrument’s characteristic acoustic waveform.  We are using CT scan technology to construct an highly detailed 3D digital model of saxophone geometries which are necessary for physics based synthesis of the saxophone.

The Role of Biological Variability in Biomechanics

Darwin observed that variation is a feature of all natural populations1, and Ernst Mayer noted that variation is an essential prerequisite for biological evolution2. Because biological variation is a natural component of all biological systems, attempts to create mathematical models must consider the effects that such variation have on system behavior.

The goal of this project is to collect essential data on corn stalk material properties and geometry. This data will be combined with stalk-level strength measurements to create biomechanical models of stalk tissues and structure.  Analysis of these models will be used to determine the material and geometric parameters that most significantly affect stalk strength. 

Research Projects

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