Paolo Gidoni
CMAF-CIO, Universidade de Lisboa

Abstract: In this talk we discuss how the framework and techniques of rate-independent systems can be applied to models involving dry friction. After a quick overview on the motility of bio-inspired crawlers, we will focus on the genesis of an anisotropy in friction when the interaction is mediated by bristle-like elements. We illustrate a convergence result, showing the rate-independent nature of the limit of a family of systems characterized by a vanishing viscosity and a wiggly perturbation in the energy, scaling to zero. We then apply the result to some simple mechanical models, that exemplify the interaction of a bristle with a surface having small fluctuations, and discuss the effect of the geometry and elasticity of the bristle on the friction coefficients.

This seminar is supported by National Funding from FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under the project: UID/MAT/04561/2013.