IRES Track1: In-situ Jungle Biomechanics Laboratory (JBL) Research Experience in the Amazon Rainforest

This project brings a diverse group of U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, where they will collaborate with Peruvian scientists and students to study the biomechanics and physics of a broad diversity of biological systems. Over the next three years, the team will bring US students to Finca Las Piedras, a biological station located in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon is the largest and most biodiverse rainforest on Earth, with several times more species of trees, butterflies, and other species than North America. Observing organisms in their natural habitat has led to the discovery of new principles in material science, engineering, and robotics. However, significant barriers exist for US scientists to study in these biodiverse locations: field sites are traditionally under-equipped, budget-conscious, and with minimal infrastructure.

Substantial training and mentorship are necessary for students to successfully travel and perform research in such locations. The goal of this grant is to lower these barriers and enable successful scientific research experiences for US undergraduates and graduate students. Students will gain access to a unique location to do field research, increase their intercultural awareness, and strengthen research ties between Peru and the US.

This IRES program will implement a jungle biomechanics laboratory (JBL) to (1) provide international research and professional experience to US undergraduate and graduate students, (2) provide opportunities for the students to explore non-traditional organisms for biomechanics and robotics research, and (3) establish a paradigm for training and research laboratories to be built in other international budget-conscious settings. Biomechanics and robophysics work will be enabled by high-speed cameras, materials and fluid measurement devices, 3D printers, and ad-hoc equipment built using the paradigm of frugal science.

The requested funding provides financial support, training, materials, supplies, and travel for the students and evaluation of the program goals by an independent third party. This program will support a diverse group of U.S. students, giving them practical field research experience in a growing interdisciplinary field of bioinspired design. Through the next few years of refinement and testing, the proposed JBL will be an emerging model for field-based biomechanics laboratories in highly biodiverse, yet infrastructurally limited regions of our planet.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.